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SOFT SOLDERING, HARD 
SOLDERING AND BRAZING 



A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON TOOLS, 
MATERIAL AND OPERATIONS; FOR 
THE USE OF METAL WORKERS, 
PLUMBERS, TINNERS, MECHANICS 
AND MANVFACTURERS : ; : : 



BY 

JAMES R HOBART, M. E. 

w 



WITH 62 ILLUSTRATIONS REPRODUCED FROM 
ORIGINAL DRAWINGS 



NEW YORK 

D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY 

25 PARK PLACE 
1912 



<^At^ 



Copyright, 1912 

BY 

JAMES F. HOBART 



IX- 



■^^6oa 



THS SCIENTIFIC PRESS 

ROBERT ORUMMOND AND COMPANY 

BROOKLYN, N. Y. 

CCU3Ji)98 9 



PREFACE. 



The operations of soldering and brazing are suggestive 
to some as being comparatively simple of execution, requir- 
ing no special degree of skill or experience on the part of 
the ^Yorkman. As a matter of fact they involve a wide 
range of manipulation and frequently demand experienced 
workmanship of a high order. 

At the same time so many mechanics are accustomed to 
perform soldering operations with poorly prepared tools and 
with appliances which might be greatly improved upon, that 
the author is led to offer this book in the hope that it will 
serve as a practical aid to improved methods, thereby 
serving the interests of mechanics who seek advancem^ent 
as well as employers who are alert to the importance of 
efficiency and economy in the methods pursued in their 
estabhshments. 

Therefore the author has dwelt with considerable fullness 
upon the many phases of soldering and brazing, giving 
the results of experience and observation acquired through 
long practice and experiment in these channels. 

If the result is accomplished, of assisting operators to 
a larger appreciation of the requirements of expert work- 
manship in these really important branches of mechanics, 
he shall consider that the time and labor spent in prepar- 
ing the treatise has been well applied. 

James F. Hobaet. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAGE 

Introductory and Explanatory — ^letallic Cement — Burning 
or Autogenous Soldering — Lead Burning — Tin Burning 
— Solders Comnionly Used — Melting Points of Soft 
Solders — Automatic Sprinkler Head Soldering — Fusible 
Plugs for Steam Boilers — Using Low Temperature 
Solders — Changing Melting Point by Heat and Pressure 
— ^Tin for Fusible Plugs — Mending Tin or Britannia 
Ware — Composition of Very Soft Solders — Temperature 
Range of Solder iMelting Points — Alloys and Their 
Melting Points — Silver Soldering — Soldering with the 
Blow Pipe — Closely Fitted Joints for Soldering — Pene- 
tration of Hard Solder — Fluxes and Fluxing — Theory of 
. Fluxes — Characteristics of a Flux — A Universal Flux — 
Lead and Tin Oxidization — Lead Dross or Oxide — 
Formation of Oxide — Oxide Protection of Metal — 
Proof of Oxidization — Borax a Universal Flux for Hard 
Solder — Effect of Heat on Resin — Borax the Proper 
Flux for Welding Operations — Silica as a Welding Flux 
— Welding Steel with Lime Flux — Selecting Fluxes — 
Substitution of Fluxes — Preventing Coppers from 
Burning — Transporting ^lelted Metals — Reducing Oxide 
— Charcoal Flux — Saving Oxide — Soldering Tools, Ap- 
pliances and Methods — The Soldering Copper or Solder- 
ing Iron — Common Forms of Soldering Coppers — The 



vi CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Straight Copper — The Hatchet Bit — Swivel Head Cop- 
pers — Handles for Soldering Coppers — Coppers with 
Wooden Handles — Leather and Rawhide Handles — A 
Household Soldering Copper — Commercially Profitable 
Coppers — Manner of Forging Coppers to Shape — 
Forging Round Coppers — Filing Coppers — Special Forms 
of Soldering Coppers — Patterns for Soldering Coppers 
— Ca sting-in Soldering Copper Handles — Soldering 
Coppers from Brass Foundry — Shape and Size of 
Coppers — Using the Heavy Hatchet Copper — Purchas- 
ing Special ' Coppers — Wire Soldering Copper — A 
Handy Soldering Tool — Soldering Coppers for Model 
Work — Improved Soldering Copper Handles i 

CHAPTER II. 

Tinning Soldering Coppers. 

Cleaning Coppers before Tinning — Protect Bits from Air 
— The Tinning Problem — Cleaning a Copper Bit — Filing 
or Scraping Methods of Cleaning Coppers — Acid 
Method of Cleaning Coppers — Tinning Coppers with 
a File — Tinning Two Coppers at Once — Tinning Cop- 
pers with Sal-ammoniac — Soldering Galvanized Iron 
— The Brick Method of Tinning Coppers — Simple 
Soldering Tools — Tinning Small Objects — The Scraper 
— Tempering a Scraper — Case Hardening a Scraper — 
Old File Scrapers — Heating Soldering Coppers — The 
Bunsen Burner — The Gasoline Blow Torch — Operating 
a Bunsen Burner — Defects of Gasoline Blow Torches — 
Leakages in Blow Torches — Gasoline Leakage — Air 
Pump Leakage — Starting a Blow Torch — A Blow Torch 
Furnace — Theory of Blow Torch Furnaces — The Blow 
Pipe — Action of Blow Pipe Flames — Reducing and Oxi- 
dizing Flames — When to x\pply Fluxes — Soldering with 



CONTENTS. vii 

PAGE 

Blow Pipe — Selecting Solder — Soldering Ordinary Tin 

— Soldering Fluids and Compounds 13 

CHAPTER III. 

Solders and Fluxes. 

Selected Solders — Lead and Tin Alloys — English Plumber's 
Solder — Comparison of Solder Melting Points — Manner 
of IMaking Solder — Iron Absorbed by Solder — Molds 
for Solder Sticks — Patterns for Soldering Coppers — Dry 
Molds before Using Them — Casting Solder ''Pigs" — 
Fluxes and Fluxing — Mechanical Action of Fluxes — 
The Common Fluxes — Soldering Compounds — Solder- 
ing Paste — Action of Colophony — Soldering Liquids — 
Chloride of Zinc — A Good Soldering Fluid — Preparing 
Chloride of Zinc — Lactic Acid Soldering Fluid — 
Gaudien's Soldering Fluid^— Borax and Resin Soldering 
Fluids — Dissolving Borax and Resin — Gums and Resins 
Soluble in Gasoline and Alcohol— Fluxes for Aluminum 
— Fluxes for Aluminum and Bronze 29 

CHAPTER IV. 

Soldering Fluids. 

Tinning with Chloride of Zinc — Coloring Soft Solder Seams 
— A Copper Solution — Blue Vitriol — Solution of Zinc — 
Gilding Soldered Seams — Method of Making Soldering 
Fluids — Precautions Necessary in ''Cutting" Zinc — 
Cleaning Zinc to Avoid Acid Fumes — Filter the Zinc 
Chloride Solution — Testing Hydrochloric Acid — Losing 
the Hydrometer — Absorption of Hydrochloric Acid Gas 
by Water — A Home Made Hydrometer — Calibrating the 
Hydrometer — Selecting Acid by Hydrometer Test — 



viii CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Making Soldering Compounds — Filtering and Straining 
Resin and Sal-ammoniac Solutions — A Resin Soap — 
Pulverizing by Chemical Methods — Compounds Stored 
in Small, Close Vessels — Silver Soldering — Strength of 
Soldered Joints — Silver Solders where Used — Solders for 
Gold — Hard Silver Solders — Hard Silver Solders for First 
Soldering — Softer Silver Solders — Silver Solders for After 
Soldering— Methods of Silver Soldering — Soldering 
with the Blow Pipe — The Blow Pipe — Blow Pipe 
Squeeze Soldering — Blow Pipe Fitted Joint Soldering 
— Blow Pipe Soldering on Charcoal — Gas Blow Pipe — 
Air Gas Blow Pipe — Home Made Gasoline Blow Pipe — 
Range Boiler Gas Generator — Gasoline Blow Pipe 
Arrangement — Blow Pipe Torch — Substitute for Smith's 
Forge 39 

CHAPTER V. 

Soldering Operations. 

Fluxes for Silver Soldering — Borax the Foundation for 
Fluxes — Borax and Potash — Boracic Acid — Ferro- 
cyanide of Potash — Yellow Prussiate of Potash — Carbo- 
nate of Soda — Sal-ammoniac — Flowers of Sulphur — 
Boracic Acid Flux— Method of Applying Fluxes — Silver 
Soldering — Flux Paddle or Spatula — When Fluxes 
Should Be Applied — Flux on Flat and Cylindrical Work 
— Applying Hard Solder — Causes of Poor Soldering and 
Brazing — Fine Iron Wire for Holding Solder — Keeping 
Hard Solder Flux in Place — Finishing Hard Solder 
Joints — Removing P^xcess of Solder — Scraping Hard Sol- 
der Joints — When Hard Solder Joint Cleaning Should 
Be Done — Proving Hard Soldered Work — Cause of 
Defective Hard Soldering — Using Soldering Coppers — 
Cause of Defective Soft Soldering — Soldering Two Flat 



CONTENTS. ix 

PAGE 

Pieces — Running a Plain Seam — Cause of Uneven and 
Bulging Seams — Speed of Soldering — Position of Solder- 
ing Coppers — ^Length of Bevel on Soldering Coppers — 
Capillary Attraction — Heat Transmitted from a Copper 
— ^Judging Heat of a Copper — Soldering with the 
Corner of the Copper — Soldering Very Light Seams — 
Soldering Fusible Substances — Running Long Seams — 
Imitating the Lead Burned Seams — How to Make 
Smooth Seams — Cause of Rough Seams — Patching a 
Seam — Making a Smooth Stop in a Seam — Applying 
Solder. 54 



CHAPTER VL 

DiFPicuLT Operations in Soldering. 

Soldering Vertical Seams — Scraping a Seam — Avoiding 
Chattering of a Scraper — The Scratch Brush — The 
Brass Wire Scratch Brush — Tinning with the Scratch 
Brush — Soldering Small Work — Perforating Card Board 
— ^linuteness of Small Soldering — Heavy Soldering — 
Soldering with a Blow Pipe — Soldering Heavy Work 
with a Light Copper — Method of Tinning Brass and 
Copper — Tinning Zinc Surfaces — Chloride of Zinc 
Solution — "Cut" Acid — Heating with the Blow 
Torch and Tinning with the Copper — Tinning Iron and 
Steel — Protochloride of Tin — Tinning by Contact — 
Tinning Hard Steel — The Temperature of Melted Tin — 
Discoloring Temperature of Hardened Steel — Action of 
Acid on Metal — Acid Oxidizing Process — Tinning 
Galvanized Iron — Soldering Galvanized Iron — Fitting 
Work Together — Tensile Strength of Solder — Soldering 
with Tin Foil — Sweating the Joint — Removing Super- 
fluous Solder — Plumbers' Wipe Pads — "Spirits of Salt" 



X CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

— Chloride of Sodium — Sulphuric Acid — Carbonate of 
Soda—'' Killed " Spirits of Salt 67 

CHAPTER VII. 

Wiping Joints, 

Soldering Lead Pipe — Flanging Lead Pipe — Sawing Lead 
Pipe — Pipe Expanding Plug — Parabolic Expanding Plug 
— Male End of Pipe Joint — Soldering Vertical Pipes — 
Soldering Horizontal Pipes — Imitating Wipe Joints in 
Pipes — An Ordinary Wipe-Solder Pipe Joint — Scraping 
Pipe for Wipe Joints — Making Wipe Joints — Tools 
for Wipe Joints — Ladle for Wipe Joints — Melting Pot 
Used for Wipe Joints — Scraping Pipe to Be Wipe 
Jointed — Proper Pipe for Wipe Joints — Expanding 
Pipe Ends for Wiping — Blacking Pipe before Wiping 
— Paper on Wipe Joints — Placing Pipes for Wiping 
Joints — Tallow for Wipe Joints — Lead Pipe Prepared 
for Wipe Joints — Solder for Wipe Joints — Melting 
Point of Tin— Melting Point of Half-and-Half Solder- 
Melting Point of Lead and Tin — Making Solder for 
Wipe Joints — Heating Pipe for Wipe Joints — Testing 
Temperature of Wiping Solder — White Pine Solder Test- 
ing Stick — Testing Solder Temperature with a Match 
— Beginning Wipe Jointing — Applying Melted Solder to 
a Wipe Joint — Wipe Joint Heating Operation — Pads 
for Wipe Joints — Protecting Fingers while Wiping 
Joints — Catch Heating Solder while Wiping Joints — 
Pouring Solder on the Joint — Size of Solder Stream — 
Height of Ladle above Wipe Joint — Covering Surface 
of Wipe Joint — Returning Solder to the Melting 
Pot — Heating the Joint — Commencing the Wiping 
Operation — Too Much Melted Solder — Solder Slumps 
in Wipe Joints — Finishing a Wipe Joint — Working 



CONTENTS. xi 

PAGE 

Solder on the Wipe Joint — Non-iVdhering Solder in 
Wipe Joints — Preventing Solder from Dropping from 
Wipe Joints — Joint Wiper Must Be an Artist — Sense 
of Proportion Necessary in Wiping Joints — Symmetrical 
Wipe Joints — The Artistic Instinct in Wiping Joints — 
Finishing a Wipe Joint — Distributing Solder Sym- 
metrically on Wipe Joints — Using Single and Double 
Pads on Wipe Joints — Position of Fingers on Joint 
Wiping Pads — Removing Superfluous Solder from the 
Wipe Joint — Time Necessary for Wiping Joints — A 
Patched Joint is Undesirable — Poor Wipe Joints 
Should be ]Melted Over — Finishing a Wipe Joint — 
When to Quit Wiping a Joint — Shaping a Wipe Joint 
too Quickly — Poor Form of Wipe Joint Finishing — 
Stringy and Ridgy Surface of Wipe Joints — Avoid 
Lengthwise Strokes in Finishing Wipe Joints — Joints 
Finished without a Perceptible Mark — Correct Form of 
Wipe Joint Finishing — Correct Finishing of Wipe 
Joints — A Symmetrical, Smooth, Solid Joint — Poor 
Form of Wipe Joint — Poorly Finished Wipe Joint — 
Removing Wipe Pads from the Finished Wipe Joints — 
Correct Form of Wipe Joint Finishing — Correct^ 
Finished Wipe Joint — Cultivation of Form In Wipe 
Joints — Some Other Defects of Wipe Joints — Cavities 
in Wipe Joints — Cold "Shuts" in -Wipe Joints — 
"Lick and Promise" Wipe Joints — Corrosion of Lead 
Pipe by Water — A Leakage Defect — Cold Solder on 
Wipe Joints — Obstruction in Wipe at a Wipe Joint 
— Importance of Close Fitting Wipe Joints — Other 
Hot Metal Wipe Joint Defects— Melting a Wipe 
Joint — Softening Lead Pipe when Wipe Jointing — 
Horizontal Spread of a Wipe Joint — Flattening Down 
of a Wipe Joint — Appearance of a Flat Wipe Joint — 
Margin of Safety between Solder and Pipe — Wipe Joint- 
ing Precautions — Moisture and Wipe Joints — Drying 



xii CONTENTS. 



Out Joints to be Wiped — Holding Work Solid when 
Wiping Joints — A ''C" Clamp — Holding Short Pieces 
of Pipe — Efifect of Water in Wipe Joints — Testing Pipe 
to be Wipe Joined — Melting Point of Lead Pipe — 
Flux for Joint Wiping — Tallow a Flux for Lead — Pure 
Tallow, to Obtain — Cotton Seed Oil and Fish Oil — 
Adulterated Tallow— Trying Out Suet— Tallow Kettle 
— Straining Dirty Tallow — Resin and Wipe Joints — 
Shop Dirt in the Melting Pot— Dip Out Clean Solder- 
Care of Wipe Pads — Bed Ticking Pads — Asbestos 
Pads— Tallow the Pipe Pads— Thin Wipe Pads- 
Ornamenting Wipe Joints 84 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Soldering with Electrically Heated Tools. 

Electric Soldering — Electric Method of Heating a Soldering 
Tool — Electric Soldering Tool — One Cause of Trouble 
in Electric Soldering Tools — Current for Electric 
Soldering Tools — Resistance in Series — Resistance for 
Low Voltage Soldering Tools — Time Required for Heat- 
ing Electric Tools — Trouble in Winding — The Common 
Form of Electric Soldering Tool — Connections for the 
Electric Soldering Tools — Care of Electric Soldering 
Tools — Speed of Electric Soldering Tools — Short and 
Quick Heating — Slow, Speedy, and Continuous Heating 
— Overcoming Prejudice against. the Electric Soldering 
Tool — Delicacy of Electric Soldering Tools — Injury to 
Electric Soldering Tools by Acid — Stands for Electric 
Soldering Tools — Electric Tools Should not be Dipped 
in Acid — Good Form of Tool Stand — Temperature of 
Electric Soldering Tools — Selection of Electric Solder- 
ing Tools — ''G. E." Electric Soldering Tools — 
Weight of ''G. E." Electric Soldering Tools— Cartridge 



CONTENTS. xiii 



Type of Tool Heaters — Calorite Standard Cartridge 
Unit— Life of "G. E." Electric Tools— Vulcan Solder- 
ing Tools — Care of Vulcan Soldering Tools — Unscrewing 
Soldering Tool Tips — Simplex Electric Soldering Tools 
— Selection and Use of Soldering Tools — Electric Brand- 
ing Appliances — Care of Electric Soldering Tools.. io6 

CHAPTER IX. 

Brazing, 

Brazing — Various Methods of Brazing — Brazing by Con- 
ducted Heat — Brazing by Immersion — Brazing by 
Electricity — Brazing or Hard Soldering — Various 
Methods of Heating for Brazing — Materials for Brazing 
— Alloys for Brazing — Fluxes for Brazing — Appl>ang 
Borax and Spelter — Wet or Dry Fluxes — Tank for 
Brazing by Immersion — Preparing Work for Immersion 
Brazing — Pipe Wiring and Blackening for Brazing by 
Immersion — Scraping and Brightening— Rapidity of 
Immersion Brazing — Pipe Brazing Appliance — Preparing • 
a Y Joint — Brazing Pots and Kettles — Brazing a Plate 
— ^Lap Brazing Plates — Brazing Valve Stems — Good and 
Bad Brazing — Brazing Ferrules — Heating a Ferrule 
Braze — Cleaning a Brazed Joint — Dropping Brazed 
Articles into Water — Brazing a Band Saw — A Slovenly 
Job of Saw Brazing — Methods of Holding and Brazing 
Band Saws — Band Saw Brazing Clamp — Brazing 
Tongs — Cooling Tongs , 123 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



CHAPTER I. 
SOLDERING TOOLS. 

Introductory and Explanatory. 

Soldering is a very peculiar, although very common, 
operation, whereby two metals, either similar or dissimilar, 
are united by a third metal by means of heat. Soldering, 
to quote from an ancient dictionary by Webster, is to 
unite with metallic cement. A more modern issue of Web- 
ster's dictionary says it is to-unite metal surfaces or edges 
with solder. The old dictionary says that solder is a 
metallic cement. The newer dictionary says solder is a 
metallic alloy for uniting metal surfaces. The same dic- 
tionary says that the word solder or soldering is derived 
from the Latin, solidare, to make solid. The dearth of 
information given in these dictionaries is remarkable and 
is only equalled by the definition of brazing, which is 
given in W^ebster of 1877, viz., to cover with brass. The 
dictionary man has evidently progressed somewhat in his 
technical education, for the 1900 dictionary says, " Brazing, 
to solder with hard solder, especially with the alloy of copper 
and zinc." 

Definition of Soldering. 

In reality, soldering is the joining of similar or dis- 
similar metals by means of an alloy which has a lower 
melting point, though this is not always the case. Ac- 
cording to modern practice, soldering means the uniting 



2. SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

of two or more pieces of metal with an alloy of lead and 
tin. The usually accepted theory of soft soldering is that the 
molten soft metals, when under certain well known con- 
ditions, adhere to and unite with the metals being soldered, 
at a temperature less than the melting point of the metals 
in question, but greater than the melting point of the 
older or uniting allov. 

Burning or Autogenous Soldering. 

There is a method of soldering which is used exten- 
sively when tanks are lined with sheet lead, which is 
known to the trade as ^' lead burning," but this operation 
should not be confused with soldering. Lead burning is 
really a form of welding and a newly developed system 
of autogenous welding, which is coming into quite gen- 
eral use. It is nothing more nor less than a '' burning 
operation," almost exactly like lead burning. 

It is possible to unite tin and similar metals with low 
melting points, by melting their edges or surfaces together, 
but this is not truly soldering. In lead burning, the two sur- 
faces are united by means of a strip of similar metal, 
which is used as solder and is miclted into and with the 
metals to be joined. Thus in lead burning, the surfaces of 
the metals to be joined are actually melted, while in true 
soldering, the surfaces are not melted but are heated to a 
degree much less than their melting points and only a little 
hotter than the melting point of the alloy, which is used 
as solder. 

Solders Commonly Used. 

The alloys most commonly used in soft solder have a 
wide range in their melting points. Some of the solders, 
notably those made chiefly of tin and lead, melt at a tem- 
perature as high as 500 to 600 degrees, while ordinary soft 
solder melts at 300 to 500 degrees. Solders may readily 
be made which will melt at any temperature down to 120 



SOLDEEIXG TOOLS. 3 

degrees or much less than the temperature of boiling 
water. Such solders are of little use commercially, being 
used mostly for exhibition purposes, for tricks and amuse- 
ment. There is a notable exception in the automatic 
sprinkler head, which is closed by a drop of solder, which 
melts at a very low temperature and which, when melted, 
permits water to escape from the sprinkler and extinguish 
the fire which caused the rise in temperature to the degree 
which melted the solder. 

Fusible Plugs for Steam Boilers. 

Another use for low temperature solder or alloy is for 
filling fusible plugs, one of which is required by law in 
certain States to be placed in each steam boiler or gen- 
erator. It is found, however, that although such a plug 
may be made to melt at any required temperature, that it 
will not melt at that degree of heat after it has remained 
in use for a considerable time^ Being continually subjected 
to heat and pressure seems to change the character of the 
alloy so that the melting point continually grows higher; 
after plugs have been in use for a year or two they will 
not melt at the temperatureof steam. 

To obviate this difiiculty, steam boiler specifications call 
for plugs filled with blue Banca tin, a metal, the melting 
point of which is not afi'ected by continued heat. Still 
another application of low temperature alloys or solders is 
the uniting or mending of utensils made from block tin 
or of Britannia ware. Some very soft solders are made 
from the alloy of bismuth, still others contain mercury 
and by the use of this metal, solders may be made which 
will melt at any required temperature above 40 degrees 
Fahrenheit and below zero. It will thus be seen that the 
temperature range of solders is unlimited. 

A very pretty operation is the making of a low tempera- 
ture solder which will melt by the warmth of the hand and 
which will harden again at the ordinary air temperature 



4 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

of 70 degrees. Such solders are of very little commercial 
use save for making models and illustrating methods of 
doing work in the shop or in the school. 

The following table gives the composition and melting 
points of various alloys, which may be' of use in soldering. 
From this table the workman may take out a formula for 
making a solder, which will fill any condition likely to 
arise in the most extensive practice. 

Alloys and Their Melting Points. 

No. Bismuth. Lead. Tin. Cadmium. Mercury. Melting 

point. 
10 113 

149 
160 

165 

200 
201 
201 
202 
202 
203 
208 
212 
212 
240 

257 
286 

334 
334 
33^ 
360 

392 
392 
466 

475 
Very low. 



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7 


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5 


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6 


4 


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7 


10 


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8 


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9 


8 


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10 


12 


7 


6 




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12 


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13 


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14 


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15 


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16 


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17 




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18 




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19 


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20 




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21 


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22 


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8 




23 




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24 




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25 


7 


3 


3 


2 



SOLDERING TOOLS. 



Silver Soldering. 

Silver soldering is really a form of brazing. Silver 
solder is usually known as hard solder, and is thus distin- 
guished from soldering with the copper and alloy of lead 
and tin. Silver soldering is usually performed with the 
blow pipe, the articles to be soldered being wired together 
or otherwise held securely in place during the fluxing and 
heating operation. The best work in silver or hard sol- 
dering is secured when the parts are fitted together as 
closely as possible; the better the fit, the better will be the 
soldering. 

A joint may be made perfectly by drilling a hole through 
both' pieces of metal and joining them by means of a 
rivet, which may even be countersunk, and riveted at each 
end. If such a joint be subjected to hard soldering or 
brazing, the silver or brass will, if the soldering be prop- 
erly done, find its way along The rivet, through the drilled 
hole, and show^ itself at the opposite end of the rivet, no 
matter how tightly it may fit. The operation of silver sol- 
dering will be described in detail in another chapter. 

Fluxes and Fluxing. 

A great variety of fluxes may be used in soft solder- 
ing, in hard soldering and in brazing. Fluxes are used in 
soldering to prevent oxidization of the heated surfaces, 
both of metals to be united and of the uniting alloys, also 
to render the solder more fluid and thereby to penetrate 
better into the interstices between the parts to be soldered. 
Taking this view of the matter, it will be seen that almost 
any substance will serve as a flux which will melt and coat 
itself over the heated surfaces without being disturbed by 
the heat. 

Common resin is the flux universally adopted for tin and 
brass — in fact, for soft soldering in general, for the reason 



6 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

that it will withstand a temperature which enables it to 
melt and spread over the surface of lead and tin without 
being driven off in a gaseous condition. For soldering 
lead, particularly when joints are to be wiped, the plumber 
uses tallow, which seems to be the best flux for this metal. 
Resin may be and is used when soldering lead with the 
copper, but tallow works well and is handy when resin is 
not obtainable. In fact, cylinder oil, or any heavy grease, 
may be used, which will protect the surface of the metal 
from attack by oxygen of the air. 

Lead and Tin Oxidization. 

When metals are heated they are very readily attacked 
by oxygen. The dross which gathers in the molten metal 
in the ladle is an example. The dross is nothing more or 
less than oxide of lead caused by the union of metallic lead 
from the ladle with oxygen from the air. When lead or 
tin are in the solid form they are less readily attacked by 
the atmosphere. A very thin film of oxide forms almost 
instantly over a freshly cut surface of lead or tin, but this 
thin layer seems to protect the metal against further oxi- 
dization at ordinary temperature. It is for this reason that 
tin and lead seem to be free from rust, while they are 
actually covered with a very thin layer of rust or oxide, 
which effectually prevents further action of the elements. 

A proof of oxidization is found in the odor which con- 
stantly arises from a piece of new tin. By pouring some 
water on a sheet of tin or into a new tin dipper, and hold- 
ing it to the nostrils, one will readily detect the peculiar 
odor of tin, which shows that a coating of oxide has been 
formed over its surface by the union between metallic tin 
and oxygen. 



■ 



SOLDERING TOOLS. 



Borax a Universal Flux for Hard Soldering. 

Borax may be used as a flux and for brazing and hard 
soldering. Borax or boracic acid are the agents univer- 
sally employed for that purpose. Resin will not stand for 
brazing, because of the high temperature necessary, which 
drives all the resin into gaseous form and it becomes dis- 
persed or lost before the brazing operation can be per- 
formed. Borax will melt over the surface and form a 
coating of glass, so to speak, which remains until the 
brazing operation has been completed. 

Borax is also the proper flux for welding operations. 
Silica is used to a great extent in rough yielding jobs, and 
for this reason a smith covers pieces of iron to be welded 
with fine white sand, which is nearly pure silica. It may 
not be known to all solder users that steel may be welded 
when lime is used for flux, nearly, if not quite as wtll, as 
when borax is used. In fact, limestone is the natural flux 
for steel. 

Selecting a Flux. 

The tinner or the plumber may make use of his knowl- 
edge of fluxes by being able to substitute one for another 
when he cannot obtain the particular flux commonly used 
for a certain kind of work. Thus if he is using solder 
which melts very hard and requires a high degree of heat 
in the soldering tool, he can mix some powdered borax 
with the resin and thereby obtain a flux which will prevent 
soldering coppers from burning, even when heated nearly 
red hot. He may also be able, when it is necessary to 
carry the pot of hot metal a long distance, to cover the 
surfaces of the metal with borax and charcoal or borax 
and lime, under which, though the metal be heated red hot, 
hardly a particle will be lost in dross or oxide during the 
journey from point of melting to point of using. 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



Reducing Oxides. 

By incorporating certain chemicals with the flux, the 
oxide or dross arising from any metal may be changed 
back again into solid m.etal. This is called reduction of 
oxide, and is the same process, or is carried out in the 
same manner, that is followed when the ores of lead, tin, 
etc., are smelted to obtain from them the metal. If the 
fluxes be made of charcoal, common salt and soda, the 
dross will be reduced, as the chemist calls it, to the metallic 
state again. 

The tinsmith and plumber should not permit dross to 
form when heating soft metal, and if any does form, either 
through' poor management or through ignorance on the 
part of the workman, the dross or oxide should be care- 
fully saved, and when a sufflcient amount has accumulated, 
enough to fill a ladle, it may be packed in the ladle in 
layers alternated with layers of charcoal flux. If the 
ladle be now heated to a proper temperature and the heat 
maintained for a few hours, the dross will be found to 
have disappeared and in its place will be a quantity of 
bright new metal. 

Soldering Tools, Appliances and Methods. 

The most common of all soldering appliances is, beyond 
doubt, the time honored and much abused soldering cop- 
per, " the soldering iron " as it is usually called. It must be 
stated, however, that the modern tinner and plumber is 
more apt to say '' copper '^ than to tell about the '' iron." 

The soldering copper is so common and so well known 
that at first sight it would seem superfluous to give a 
description of that important tool, but notwithstanding this 
there are many working tinsmiths who cannot, under any 
circumstances, name the different sizes and shapes of cop- 



SOLDEEINa TOOLS. 9 

pers in use in up to date shops. On the other hand, it is 
quite Hkely that the tinner would describe his soldering tool 
as a ^^ chunk of copper with a handle stuck in the end of 
it," and it must be confessed that this description fits very 
closely to many of the coppers found in some shops. 



Common Forms of Soldering Coppers. 

Two types of tools for soldering are shown by Figs, i 
and 2, the former representing the usual straight bit, the 
uses of w^hich are almost universal. Fig. 2 shows the 
modern form of hatchet bit which is also a tool largely 
used. In fact, there are few soldering jobs which cannot 
be performed with the aid of these two standard coppers. 




Fig. I. — Straight Copper, 

Fig. 2 shows a good form of hatchet copper, the head of 
which is swivelled and may be moved in any direction to 
make it do the work in hand. The straight copper shown 
by Fig. I is held to the handle by the clamping device 
shown, viz., a couple of holes drilled in the bit and the 
split ends of the handle inserted therein. Channels on 
either side of the bit between each hole and the end of 
the copper are made to receive the handle as shown. In 
the illustration, the handle is welded at A, but many 
handles are made of a single piece of round iron, bent 
back on itself and the ends twisted together before being 
driven into the holes in the copper, as shown at B and C. 
Personally the writer does not like this kind of handle: 
it is very apt to get loose in the bit and rattle about at 



10 



SOLDEEING AND BEAZING. 



B and C, allowing considerable play to* the end of copper 
D. The writer prefers the form of handle shown with 
the hatchet tool, Fig. 2, the handle of which is welded 
together at E, in a manner similar to that shown at A, 
Fig. I. The metal handle is then made of the required 
length and a wooden shell F, Fig. 2, is applied as shown. 
The washer G is brazed or soldered securely to the metal 
handle and the wooden shell has a hole bored through its 
entire length to receive the metal handle G. The extreme 




Fig. 2. — Hatchet Copper. 

end of this handle is threaded to fit nut H and carries 
another washer, which, when screwed dow^n against the 
end of shell F, holds it securely under almost all condi- 
tions of use. 



Coppers with Wooden Handles. 

In some coppers the wooden handle is replaced by a 
piece of steam pipe; a piece of brass pipe ^ an inch in 
diameter makes a fine looking handle when fitted with 
a couple of soldered-in ends, but both the brass and iron 
pipe conduct heat very rapidly and are apt to become much 
hotter than plain wooden handles. Fancy handles are 
sometimes made of leather or rawhide washers cut out, 
placed upon the handle and the nut H screwed down when 
the washers are filed to a shape which fits the hand. 



SOLDEEING TOOLS. 11 

When a hatcket copper gets loose in the swivel it may 
be tightened by screwing the lower portion of the bit in a 
vise and riveting down the upper portion until it pinches 
the handle E, as tightly as necessary. 

A Household Soldering Copper. 

Neither the hatchet copper nor the straight copper should 
ever be permitted to become rounded at the point. A tool 
resembling Fig. 3 is very often to be found in tin shops, 
and such a tool should never be permitted under any con- 
ditions w^hatever. Its presence in the shop is evidence 
that some one of the men is not attendins; to business 




Fig. 5. — Household Soldering Copper, 

properly. While soldering may be done, after a fashion, 
with such a tool, it is best to do work in a commercially 
profitable wdy. 

The only place where a bit of this kind should be found 
is in the homes of your customers. This bit may well 
be called the household soldering copper, and when a man 
w^ho is possessed of such a copper thinks of doing his own 
tin mending, he is pretty apt, after one or two trials, to 
bundle up his work and bring it to the shop. Whenever 
a copper shows any tendency to approach Fig. 3, in condi- 
tion and appearance, just bundle that copper over to the 
blacksmith and have it put in shape again. 



12 SOLDEEING AND BRAZING. 



Forging Coppers to Shape. 

Coppers may be kept in shape by forging. All smiths 
may not be aware of the fact that copper can be forged on 
the anvil as readily as iron or soft steel. One can forge 
coppers, however, if a piece of heavy iron is at hand to 
work them on. Just heat to a bright red, then draw 
them out with a round faced hammer. There will be no 
danger of spoiling the point of a copper during the draw- 
ing-out process if it is hammered on all four sides equally. 
Don't try to do all the hammering necessary on one side 
at one time, but divide up the blows, turning the bit back 
and forth so that only a few blows are struck on any side 
at one time. Never try to draw out a round copper with- 
out first squaring the end thereof. If a round copper is 
hammered from all sides the metal will surely split in the 
middle or crack into several pieces. First hammer the 
round bit into square form and in that shape draw it down 
to the required dimensions; then, if a round section of bit 
is required, make it round by lightly hammering after it 
has been drawn down into the square form. 

Some tinners, when they find a bit approaching the form 
shown in Fig. 3, proceed to file off a lot of metal and 
bring it to shape in that way. This is a waste of copper 
pure and simple, and it should never be done. Simply 
heat the coppers to a red heat and draw them out on the 
anvil to the correct form, as described above. 

Special Forms of Soldering Coppers. 

It would require too much space to describe all the spe- 
cial forms of coppers that are to be found in general use. 
It must suffice to state that coppers may be procured of 
any required shape. The dealer carries many stock sizes 
and shapes and the brass foundry will give you special 



SOLDERING TOOLS. 13 

coppers at any time, provided a wooden pattern is fur- 
nished of the desired shape. Just whittle out a bit of 
soft wood to the size and shape of the required bit, hand 
this pattern to the brass foundryman, and he will sup- 
ply a bit, true to the pattern, which may be fitted 
with any desired form of handle. Such special coppers 
may well be fitted with a cast-in handle. Just a plain 
piece of | inch or | inch rod is all that is required. 
Hammer one end a trifle to enlarge it so that it will not 
pull out of the copper bit should it become loose therein. 
Pass this handle along to the brass foundryman with the 
wooden pattern; he will place the handle in the mold, pour 
the copper around same, and in a short time he will hand 
you the complete tool ready to be tinned and put to im- 
mediate use. 

Shape and Size of Coppers. 

Do not hesitate about providing plenty of soldering cop- 
pers of varying sizes and shapes; it does not pay to use a 
Httle picked copper for soldering a long, heavy seam. A 
heavy hatchet tool is the better one for that purpose, but 
if a man wishes to solder up a pinhole in a tin pail, he 
has no use for a 3 pound hatchet tool, but should use the 
smallest copper available. Don't hesitate to purchase new 
tools of special shapes; it is much better to do so than to 
change over existing shapes, which are sure to be needed 
sooner or later in their original forms. 

A Wire Soldering Copper. 

For some kinds of very light soldering, a piece of cop- 
per wire is all that is necessary. A No. 16 copper wire, 
with a ring turned in one end for a handle, makes a most 
convenient tool to use when soldering with the blow torch 



14 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



or blow pipe. One of the handiest tools the writer ever 
used is shown by Fig. 4. It is nothing more or less than 
a piece of f inch copper wire, the same as is used as a 
feed wire by trolley lines. An eye is turned in one end for a 
handle; the other end is flattened on one side and filed to 
a double angle on the other side as shown. This is one of 
the handiest tools imaginable for working into small cor- 
ners and is used in connection with a blow torch. 

In model work, particularly where all sorts of pieces 
have to be soldered together, this tool is very convenient 
indeed. It is only necessary to place and hold the articles 



% 



Fig. 4. — Handy Soldering Tool. 

n question, blow them a few seconds with the gasoline 
torch, then work the solder into place by means of the 
tool illustrated by Fig. 4. Several of these little tools 
will be found advantageous. The writer uses one occa- 
sionally which is only 1-16 inch in diameter. 

A great improvement in tools of this kind is to braze a 
short section of copper to an iron rod of smaller diame- 
ter, which will serve as a handle. Iron does not conduct 
heat as readily as copper, and by making the handle smaller 
than the tool the metal has less conducting capacity and the 
copper stays hot much longer than when the handle is 
of solid copper and of the same size as the tool. 



CHAPTER II. 

TINNING SOLDERING COPPERS. 

Even the apprentice quickly realizes that a soldering 
tool is of little value unless it is well tinned. Soldering 
can be done with untinned or poorly tinned tools, but it 
will be a poor job at best and a slow, costly one as well. 
The writer used to know one party who did all his own 
household soldering, mending pots and pans with soft 
solder, with no other soldering tool at his command than 
the tongs from an old-fashioned fire place. These tongs 
were iron and, of course, were not tinned, but the person 
in question used them so long and soldered so much, that 
the disks at the end of the tongs were worn almost en- 
t'rely away. This person actually did quite creditable work 
with the old tongs and if he had been equipped with a 
soldering outfit, he would have been a success at the 
business. 

Clean Coppers before Tinning. 

When coppers are to be tinned, the first step is to re- 
move the coating of oxide which always covers a copper. 
It is utterly impossible to make solder adhere to a copper 
or any other surface which is covered with dirt or oxide, 
hence before a copper can be tinned it must be made abso- 
lutely clean. Being clean, in the sense used by tinners, 
means free from all oxide of its own and of other metals. 
It makes no difference how much grease or guni or 
resinous substance there may be on the surface as long as 

15 



16 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

it is free from a film of dross or oxide. As stated else- 
where, oxide is the technical name for dross which is 
formed by the oxygen of the air attacking any metal, cop- 
per, lead and tin in particular. 



Protect Bits from Air, 



In order to obtain a clean copper surface, it is absolutely 
necessary that air be prevented from coming in contact 
with the copper after it has been cleaned. No matter how 
well the surface of a copper bit may be filed or ground, it 
requires less than one second's exposure of the heated cop- 
per to the atmosphere to form a film of oxide over the 
surface of the metal and then the tinning possibihties are 
over, for copper in that condition cannot be tinned, try as 
hard as one may. 

The Tinning Problem. 

The tinning problem thus resolves itself into three parts. 
First, the cleaning of the copper. Make it bright and free 
from all metallic oxides. The second step is to keep the 
copper in that condition until the third operation can be 
completed, which is the covering of the bright surface with 
a film of lead and tin alloy. 

The first operation we have described; it is done by 
filing, sand papering or scraping the surface of the copper 
until it is clean and bright. The second operation, that of 
keeping the copper clean until it can be tinned, can be 
effected in two ways. First, by means of a flux, second, by 
means of an acid. Resin is the flux usually employed for 
this purpose and its ofhce is to spread itself over the sur- 
face of the hot copper in such a manner that no air can 
reach the bright portion. 



i 



TINNING SOLDERING COPPERS. 17 



Acid Method of Cleaning Coppers. 

The second way, the acid method, is effected by dipping 
the copper into a solution of muriate of zinc. The acid 
attacks the surface of the copper, removes the oxide there- 
from and replaces it with a thin film of zinc, to w^hich the 
solder will join itself if appHed immediately. The zinc 
does not seem to oxidize as quickly as the copper, but if 
that copper be allowed to remain any appreciable length of 
time after dipping in the acid, before the solder is applied, 
then the alloy will not spread well over the surface and 
the tinning operation will be a failure until the hot copper 
has again been dipped in acid. For tin work, brass solder- 
ing, uniting lead surfaces and similar work, the resin 
method is preferable. The copper may be filed to a bright 
surface, rubbed with a piece of resin and then tinned by 
rubbing a stick of solder over the prepared surface. 



Tinning Coppers with a File. 

The critical point is the applying of the resin to the 
bright surface before the latter is exposed to the air after 
cleaning. To accomplish this some tinners rub the copper 
smartly on the floor over which a little sand has been 
spread, then apply the resin to the solder. Tinning may 
also be done by placing the hot copper with one of its 
surfaces nearly level, then placing a bit of resin on the 
surface which is then scraped with an old file. This re- 
moves the oxide and brightens the surface, which is im- 
mediately covered by the resin, thereby preventing access 
of air and the consequent formation of a dross film. 

This operation is shown in Fig. 5, in which a Httle pool 
of melted resin is shown on the surface of the copper at A. 
A Uttle globule of solder is shown at B, which w^as melted 



18 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



from the stick by the heat of the copper. As far as this 
copper is kept bright with the file, the resin will flow over 
it and when the file reaches the globule of solder, that 
alloy will also spread over the copper underneath the resin. 
By working in this manner over each portion of the copper 



■ 




P^E,' 5' — Tinning with a File. 

the tinning operation may be completed in less time than it 
takes to tell it. 

Tinning Two Coppers at Once. 

Some people prefer tinning two coppers at once, as shown 
by Fig. 6. This method works pretty well, especially on 
coppers which have been tinned before. It is about 
like the file method, only one copper is used to scrape the 
other clean instead of the file used in Fig. 5. Some resin 
waves are shown at C, and as they are pushed aside by the 
rubbing operation, it will be found that there is a coating 
of solder underneath them. Each of the four sides of the 
copper must be subjected successively to the rubbing opera- 
tion, and it is evident that the two coppers may be tinned 



TINNING SOLDEEING COPPERS. 19 

in this way during the time required to tin one copper by 
the file method. 




Fig, 6. — Tinning Two Coppers at Once, 

Tinning Coppers with Salammoniac. 

A third method of tinning is shown by Fig. 7. This may 
be known as the salammoniac process. That substance 




Fig. 7. — Tinning with Salammoniac, 

(muriate of ammonia) comes in large and small crystals 
or chunks, and is well known to the tinner and plumber 
as being particularly useful when copper surfaces are 
to be tinned, k chunk of salammoniac is kept upon 



20 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

the bench. With the stick of solder in the workman's 
left hand, the right hand moves the copper back and 
forth upon the salammoniac with a scraping motion. 
The mechanical action of the motion, together with the 
chemical action of the salammoniac penetrates and re- 
moves the film of oxide on the copper and soon brightens 
its surface. Occasional contact with the stick of solder, 

D, causes some of that substance to adhere to the bright 
copper, while some of it is deposited on the salammoniac, 

E, and thence is rubbed over the surface of the cop- 
per, resulting in quickly giving that tool the requisite 
coat of aUoy. This method of tinning is particularly de- 
sirable when soldering galvanized iron. " Raw " acid 
(muriatic or hydrochloric) is used for this purpose, and 
frequent renewing of the tinning on the copper is neces- 
sary. 

The Brick Method of Tinning Coppers. 

For general use the writer prefers the brick method 
shown by Fig. 8. In this illustration the copper, F, is 
represented as being moved back and forth in the shallow 
groove, G G, which has been dug in the surface of brick, 
H. Some resin, I I, has been melted into the cavity, 
which is only one-eighth or one-quarter inch deep. Some 
solder is also melted in with the resin. A couple of 
globules are shown at J J. A very soft brick should be 
selected for making one of these tinning tools — ^in fact, 
the softer the brick the better, and the more the brick 
crumbles or wears away as the copper is rubbed against 
it, the better and quicker will the tinning be accompHshed. 

The theory of this method is that the hot copper, by 
rubbing upon the brick in the bath of melted resin, is 
completely protected from the air, while the gritty sub- 
stance of the brick quickly polishes the surface of the cop- 
per. The resin protects the surface as fast as it is cleaned. 



TINNING SOLDERING COPPERS. 21 

and the solder being present at the time of cleaning and 
poHshing, immediately adheres to the copper surface. 
In making up a new tool of this kind, it is not necessary 
to cut the channel G, G. It is better to drive a cold chisel 
across the top of the brick a few times, leaving most of 
the brick dust in the channel. Melt in a piece of resin as 
big as a hen's egg, put in a chunk of solder or the refuse 
drops scraped from the bench or floor and proceed with 
the tinning. 




Fig. 8. — Tinning with a Brick. 

This method is a combination of about all the other 
methods shown, except the salammoniac method, Fig. 7. 
The writer sometimes finds it convenient to add this 
method also to the brick way of tinning, by scattering in 
with the resin a few fragments of salammoniac, as shown 
at K. Some fragments of this substance may be used on the 
brick to advantage, and, if desired, some powdered sal- 
ammoniac may be mixed with the resin, with most satis- 
factory results. 

This method is the quickest way of all for tinning cop- 
pers. When the writer is doing soldering of almost any 
description, in which a copper is used, he likes to have 



22 SOLDEEING AND BRAZING. 

brick H at hand upon the bench. Whenever the copper, 
upon being removed from the fire, shows a few spots 
where the tinning is thin or defective, a rub or two on the 
brick will restore the copper to a perfectly tinned condi- 
tion. When tinning small objects, such as pieces of wire, 
little clips or bits of steel or iron, the brick is also useful. 
Dipping first into acid and then into resin will, with one 
or two rubs with the copper F, put an immediate and per- 
fect coat of solder upon the articles to be tinned. 



The Simple Soldering Tools. 

The coppers and tinning apparatus above described are 
those which can be used in most soldering jobs where 
labor saving conveniences are not to be had. The electrical 
soldering copper is a tool which will be described later, 
but it is not usually found in the outfit of the ordinary 
shop. The coppers and tinning conveniences noted above, 
with the addition of a few scrapers and a pair of tinner's 
shears, a hammer, mallet and a file or two and perhaps a 
pair of compasses, make up the list of economical and in- 
dispensable tools. 

The Scraper. 

A triangular piece of steel fitted with a Handle is well 
known in the tin shop and its chief characteristic seems to 
be that of being as dull as a hoe. It is very seldom that 
the scraper is ground, though it should be kept as sharp 
as any wood-working tool. A soft scraper, one that can 
be touched up with a file, should be thrown away. When 
picking out a scraper, test it with a file and select one 
which the file will not touch. If by chance you have a 
soft scraper, heat it to a dull red heat, taking care that the 
heat is as evenly as possible, then plunge it into cold water 



TINNING SOLDEEING COPPEES. 23 

and move it from side to side while cooling. This move- 
ment is to dislodge any bubbles of steam which collect on 
the steel and prevent the contact of the water, thus re- 
ducing the hardness of the metal. 



Tempering a Scraper. 

It may be necessary after such a hardening to tighten 
the rivet which holds the scraper to its handle and pos- 
sibly it may be necessary to draw the temper a little for, 
if made from high grade steel, the scraper may be broken 
if struck with a hammer, or otherwise misused. To draw 
the temper, pass the scraper blade back and forth before 
the blaze of a gasoline torch or any kind of a fire pot. 
Watch closely and when the faintest tinge of bronze is seen, 
remove from the heat and allow the scraper to cool. Some- 
times a corner or an edge may show a faint color before 
the rest of the scraper begins to change; in such a case 
touch a wet rag to the place which shows color. This 
stops the temper from running down and the remaining 
portion of the scraper can be brought to the required soft- 
ness without the '' running out " of the temper over the 
portions which show color first. Only the faintest tinge 
of bronze or orange should be permitted, or the scraper 
blade will become too soft. 



Case Hardening a Scraper. 

When a blade will not harden by heating and quenching 
in water, it should be treated with yellow prussiate of 
potash. Heat the steel to a low red heat and apply the 
potash just as borax or resin would be applied in the 
process of soldering. After the potash has been appHed, 
maintain the low, red heat for ten or fifteen minutes. If 
the potash burns out on any portion of the steel, then ap- 



24 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

ply a little more of the chemical, which will form a thick, 
liquid coating over the steel. 

After the time mentioned has expired, heat the steel to a 
good, red heat and quench in water, as before directed. The 
prussiate of potash goes around the outside of the soft 
steel and that portion of the scraper may be made very 
hard while the interior remains as soft as ever. The longer 
the steel is subjected to the action of the potash, the harder 
it will become. If it is found not hard enough after the 
operation has been completed, the case hardening may be 
repeated as many times as are necessary ; but thin steel, 
such as scrapers are made of, may be hardened entirely 
through and thus become very brittle and will break easily 
unless the temper be drawn as directed for ordinary steel. 

Old File Scrapers. 

Old files make excellent scrapers for cleaning dirt or 
paint from seams which are to be soldered. To prepare 
files for this work, grind them as though they were chisels, 
then use as a chisel would be used when scraping a seam. 
The scraping must be done with a pushing instead of a 
pulling motion, as with the triangular scraper, which is in- 
tended to do the work on the drawing stroke. 

Heating Soldering Coppers. 

The old-fashioned charcoal fire has become almost a 
thing of the past. Very few shops, except in remote 
country places, now use the charcoal pot. In its place may 
be found the gasoline blow torch, and pots using gasoline 
are made for all kinds of ordinary work, also for special 
work. For shop work the gas heater has become almost 
the rule. Any ordinary coal fire pot may be readily con- 
verted into a gasoline heater by placing inside a form of 



TINNING SOLDEEING COPPERS. 25 

Bunsen burner made specially for heating coppers. This 
burner is in principle Hke all other burners of the Bunsen 
type and consists of a wire gauze hood, through the meshes 
of which gas and air, mixed in proper proportions, are 
driven. 

The Gasoline Blow Torch. 

An important addition to the heating apparatus for sol- 
dering purposes is the gasohne blqw torch, consisting of 
a gasoline-containing vessel made air tight and fitted with 
a form of air pump w^hereby a considerable pressure of 
air may be maintained above the gasohne while the device 
is in use. The gasoline, under pressure, is forced through 
the pipe into a Bunsen burner. A Bunsen burner, by the 
way, is a device whereby gas is driven into a tube much 
larger than the gas supply pipe, which pipe acts as an 
injector to force the gas into the tube. The injector draws 
into the tube with the gas a quantity of air which mixes 
with the gas before it reaches the burner proper. 

A wire gauze shield or a thin plate perforated with very 
fine holes, prevents fire from igniting the mixture of gas 
and air before it gets to the burner. It is a pecuharity of 
flame, that it cannot pass through very small tubes or 
openings, and this fact is taken advantage of in constructing 
the Bunsen burner or a miner's safety lamp. By means 
of a proper mixture of air with the gas, the latter loses 
its light-producing quality and the resulting flame is blue, 
giving intense heat and but very little light. 

In using a Bunsen burner for soldering, the air supply 
should be so regulated that the flame is a very deep blue 
or even violet, if possible. The bluer the flame, the hotter 
it will be found. The higher the temperature, the more 
perfect the combustion and the less will be the gas con- 
sumed. The Bunsen burner may be operated with any 
kind of gas, either illuminating or acetylene, and it may 



26 



SOLDEEING AND BRAZING. 



also be operated with ordinary gasoline vapor. In the 
gasoline torch, as the name implies, that substance is used 
to supply combustion. 

The improved form of gasoHne torch has its air pump 
in the handle A, Fig. g, and the needle valve is fitted with 
a bent handle B, which being covered with some poor con- 
ductor of heat does not become as hot as in some of the 



I 




Fig, 9, — The Gasoline Torch. 

older forms of torches. Some torches are fitted with little 
brackets at C and D, whereby a copper may be laid on top 
while being heated. This is a very convenient arrange- 
ment. The tinner who is unaccustomed to handling blow 
torches will probably have trouble until he becomes fully 
conversant with the tricks and traits of blow torches in 
general. He may be troubled by the torch extinguishing 
itself easily whenever the blaze is turned to a low point; 



TINNING SOLDEEING COPPERS. 27 

sometimes this is due to roughness of the needle point, 
which roughness diverts the stream of gasoHne against one 
side of the perforated combustion shield. When this 
trouble is met with remove the needle and see that the 
point is made smooth and that it is clean and free from 
rust. 

Leakage in Blow Torches. 

More trouble is met with in leakage of air. There is 
a valve between the pump and the gasoline reservoir which 
sometimes, but not often, fails to hold. This valve is sub- 
merged in gasoUne or at least has gasoline on one side 
of it — on the pressure side — hence any leakage of this 
valve will be known by gasoline coming out of the pump. 
Another source of leakage is through or around the fiUing 
plug. Underneath the lamp will be found a screw plug, 
so constructed in the later forms of torches that it may 
be tightened by a wrench or by putting a punch through 
the hole in the plug. A piece of leather is fitted around 
this plug and when leakage occurs the tinner should look 
to this plug and see that it and its packing is in good 
condition. 

Gasoline leakage will occur also whenever packing be- 
comes defective. If both the torch and the plug are kept 
very clean and every particle of dirt removed before they 
are screwed together, there will be Kttle chance of leakage 
around the packing washer, but if dirt and particularly 
metal filings are permitted to adhere thereto, the washer 
wiU quickly fail to keep the joint tight. 

Air Pump Leakage. 

The remaining source of leakage, except, of course, 
holes in the reservoir, is in and around the air pump. 
This appliance is of the usual bicycle pump construction, 



28 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

with a leather cup which serves as a plunger valve. A 
few drops of oil placed in the pump, around the rod, and 
allowed to run down upon the leather, will usually remove 
leakage troubles at this point. Sometimes, however, the 
leather packing becomes too badly worn to fit the pump 
barrel, even when pressure is appHed by the hand. In 
such cases carefully cut out, form and put in a new 
plunger cup; soak the leather in water until it can be 
shaped to the proper form and after it has become dry 
in the barrel, stuff it full of oil, which should be frequently 
renewed, as gasoline or its vapor rapidly extracts oil from 
the packing and from all portions of the pump. 

The usual source of air leakage is around the pump bar- 
rel, where it is screwed into the reservoir. Another pack- 
ing washer will be found at this point, which washer 
should be put in and kept in a smooth condition, the same 
as the washer around the filling plug in the bottom of the 
torch. Sometimes the torch extinguishes itself mysteri- 
ously and fails to start again until it is struck a more or 
less severe blow with a hammer. Sometimes this fault 
may be traced to dirty gasoline. It is well when filling a 
blow torch to avoid shaking the gasoline can and care- 
fully pour in the necessary amount without stirring up any 
sediment which may be in the bottom of the can. Such 
gasoline should be strained through several thicknesses of 
cloth, excelsior or some other dirt removing substance. 
Sometimes a torch fails to work properly because the air 
holes in the perforated burner hood have become closed. 
In such a case the tang of a file or end of a sharp reamer 
may be used to advantage in cleaning out the holes. 

Starting a Blow Torch. 

In starting a blow torch it is supposed that the tinner is 
aware that the burner must become heated hot enough to 
vaporize gasoline before it will give a blue flame. When 



TINNING SOLDEEING COPPERS. 



29 



a blow torch puts out a white or yellow flame, the oper- 
ator should know that the burner has become too cold to 
work properly. This may result from too much gasoline, 
and the tinner should immediately correct this fault by 
making the torch put out a blue flame before he tries to 
heat coppers or to solder with it. 

A Blow Torch Furnace. 

To obtain a high degree of heat from the blow torch, 
so as to heat two or more coppers at the same time, place 
two pieces of board adjacent to each other, or nail up a 
rough box without ends or top, as shown by Fig. lo. 




Fig. 10.— 'A Blow Torch Furnace. 



Three pieces of board are all that are necessary for this 
purpose. Block up under the boards until the gasoline 



30 SOLDEEING AND BEAZING. 

torch can deliver its heat between them, as shown at E, 
where the burner of the torch is pointed between the 
boards. Two or more coppers may be placed between 
the boards and quickly heated at the same time. The cop- 
pers, F and G, are simply thrust between the pieces of 
board upon some wire nails which \ ave been driven through 
one of the boards for the coppers to rest upon. One of 
these nails is seen at H and the heads of the other nails 
at I, showing how they are driven in an irregular manner 
into the pieces of boards. 

This arrangement of boards will, of course, burn out in 
a short time, but it will last much longer than would be 
supposed. A device made, as shown by the engraving, of 
common one inch boards, may be used for several hours 
before it goes to pieces. The theory of this method of 
heating copper is that the wood is quickly turned into 
charcoal by the intense heat of the torch and becoming 
ignited, a much hotter fire and a much larger one is made 
than is possible with the blow torch alone. In fact, if the 
opening between the boards is packed with charcoal or 
small pieces of wood, a blaze can be obtained between the 
boards which will almost melt brass or copper. 

A very good furnace for heavy work may be made by 
piling up three or four bricks in such a manner that the 
coppers may be placed inside and the flame from the blow 
torch bear directly upon them. With the addition of a 
little charcoal or small pieces of wood or even sawdust, in 
or around the coppers, a fierce heat may be obtained which 
can be equalled only by a smith's fire. This device is not 
only suitable for heating copper, but the blow torch 
furnace may be used for many brazing operations, as will 
be described in the chapter devoted to that matter. 



I 



TINNING SOLDERING COPPERS. 31 



The Blow Pipe. 

Soldering by means of the blow pipe is practised very 
extensively by jewellers and mechanics who do very small 
and very fine work, but the blow pipe method of soldering 
is just as applicable to large as well as to small work, pro- 
vided the blow pipe be made of a size proportioned to the 
w^ork to be done. The blow pipe as used by jewellers, is a 
little tin or brass tube, large at one end, small at the other 
and from ten to twelve inches long. A mouth piece is ar- 
ranged at the large end and a stream of air which issues 
from the minute hole in the small end of the pipe is di- 
rected against the flame of a lamp torch or candle. 

This form of blow pipe is shown in Fig. ii, and at C is 
shown the blow pipe in position, in front of a candle. 



Fig. II, — Common Blow Pipe. 

From the effect which the blast of air from the pipe has 
upon the candle flame, it will be noted that the flame is 
deflected to a nearly horizontal position. It will also be 
noted that there is, what may be caUed, two flames, one 
at A, the other at B, the latter seemingly inside of the 
former. There are two flames, in fact, as weU as in ap- 
pearance. The one at A may be drawn down to a very 
fine point and is called the oxidizing flame. The one at B 
is not as blue as the flame at A and is called the reducing 
flame. 



32 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



Action of the Blow Pipe Flames. 

To illustrate the action of both of these flames, direct 
the flame A upon some bits of solder and note how quickly 
the solder is oxidized or turned into dross. Then change 
the position of the blow pipe and candle, so that the 
reducing flame B be made to impinge upon the dross; 
it will be only a few minutes before the action of the 
reducing flame changes the oxide back into pure metal. 

For this reason, it is best when soldering to bring the 
reducing flame against the work as much as possible. This 
means the pushing of the blow pipe forward until the in- 
side flame reaches the point to be heated. If the place to 
be soldered is larger than the pencil of flame which reaches 
it, then move the blow pipe to and fro, slightly directing 
the flame alternately over the entire surface which is 
to be brought to the melting point of solder. 

When to Apply Fluxes. 

Fluxes should be appKed at the same time, or before the 
heat is turned on; sometimes the flux will not stay in 
place until the surfaces have been heated slightly, but in 
any case, the flux should be applied before the metal has 
become hot enough to oxidize easily. Usually a bit of 
solder will float over the surface and spread itself in all 
directions, by capillary attraction, as soon as it becomes 
melted, but sometimes when the surface is not quite clean 
or is not fluxed properly, there will be trouble in making 
the solder flow to some parts of the metal to be soldered. 

When this happens, the tool shown by Fig. 4 should be 
brought into use and placed in the flame of the blow pipe 
until heated to the melting point of solder, when the tool 
may be used like an ordinary soldering copper, but right 
in the blow pipe flame, and the melted solder rubbed upon 



TINNING SOLDERING COPPERS. 33 

the surface to be soldered until it adheres to and flows to 
the point where it is wanted. In soldering with a blow 
pipe, never try to bridge over any holes or wide places be- 
tween metal surface's. This is a trick easily accomplished 
with the soldering copper, but in blow pipe work the joints 
should be fitted closely together and carefully held in con- 
tact with each other while the solder is being applied. The 
same is true with blow torch soldering and directions given 
for blow pipe work are equally applicable to soldering with 
the blow torch. 



CHAPTER III, 
SOLDERS AND FLUXES. 

Selecting Solder. 

Two metal surfaces may be joined together with almost 
any alloy of lead and tin, or with either metal alone, but 
there is a certain proportion of each metal which makes an 
alloy best fitted for certain kinds of work. The table of 
lead and tin alloys on page 35 will enable the experienced 
tinsmith to select the alloy best suited to the work which he 
is to perform. Generally speaking, and for the guidance 
of inexperienced tinners, it may be stated that the softer 
the metal to be soldered, the stronger will be the joint 
after the work has been completed. 

There are some exceptions to this rule, as to almost all 
others. When soldering ordinary tin, a solder made of 
equal parts of tin and lead is well adapted to general use. 
This is well known as the " half and half " solder. For 
more difficult work, such as wiped joints for lead or brass, 
a solder having great tenacity in a fluid or semi-fluid state 
is required. In cases of this kind the workman will use a 
solder with a large proportion of tin. As the scientist puts 
it, /' very rich in tin "; as the machinist expresses it, ^' two- 
thirds or three-fourths fine." He distinguishes between 
alloys of lead and tin by calling them ^' coarse," '' medium," 
^*' fine," etc. Thus a coarse solder for roofing work may be 
largely composed of lead. 

As stated above, for wiped joints, a solder alloy must con- 
tain more tin. For soldering certain soft alloys known as 

34 



SOLDERS AND FLUXES. 



35 



white metals, pure tin is sometimes used, but for still other 
and more fusible alloys the mechanic must choose one of 
the bismuth alloys when selecting a solder for the work in 
hand. 

The following list of solders shows the work to which 
they are particularly adapted, and while they may be used, 
of course, for other purposes, they will be found more suit- 
able for the work for which they are designed. 



Selected Solders. 

The following table of alloys and their melting points 
was compiled from various sources, among them '^ Kent's 
Engineering Handbook." The melting points there given 
have not been confirmed by the author, but were taken as 
given by Kent. Brannt, in his " Metal Workers' Hand- 
book," gives a list of twelve solders, made up of lead and 
tin alloys, in which the proportions and melting points 
vary greatly from the table given by Kent. 



Table of Lead and Tin Alloys, by W. F. Brannt. 



Number. 


Tin. 


rts. . 

Lead. 


Melts at 
Deg. Fahr 


I 




25 


558 


2 




lO 


541 


3 




5 


511 


4 




3 


482 


5 




2 


441 


6 






370 


7 


_ 1 
■'■2 




334 


8 


2 




340 


9 


3 




356 


lO 


4 




365 


II 


5 




378 


12 


6 




380 



36 SOLDEEING AND BRAZING. 

The author of the table further states that solders from 
No. 4 to No. 8 are used with tallow as a flux, and that No. 
8 may be used with a mixture of resin and sweet oil when 
soldering lead and tin pipes. He also recommends No. 8, 
provided chloride of zinc or resin be used as a flux, for 
soldering Britannia metal, cast iron and steel, but that 
common resin or salammoniac be used with the latter met- 
als. He also advises that No. 8 be used for soldering cop- 
per, brass, gun metal, etc., using either salammoniac, chlor- 
ide of zinc or resin as a flux. 



Plumber's Sealed Solder. 

No. 5 solder is commonly used by English plumbers and 
is assayed and stamped by an officer of the Plumbers' 
Union. When thus tested and marked it is known to the 
English plumber and the trade as " plumbers' sealed solder." 

In order that the tinner may not fall into error by de- 
pending upon erroneous melting points given by various 
authorities, it may be stated that the melting points of simi- 
lar alloys, according to Kent, and as given by Brannt, are 
as follows: 

Comparison of Solder Melting Points. 



Tin. 


Lead. 


No. 


xveiiu. — ^ 

Melting Point. 


No. 


Melting Point. 


3 


I 


17 


334 


9 


356 


2 


I 


20 


360 


8 


340 


I 


I 


23 


466 


6 


370 


I 


2 


24 


475 


5 


441 


I 


3 






4 


482 



The hard solders vary greatly in composition, accord- 
ing to the metals they are to be used with. An exhaustive 
description of hard solders, and the metals from which 



SOLDERS AND FLUXES. 37 

they are derived, will be given in the chapters devoted 
to hard soldering and brazing. 



Method of Making Solder. 

Solders may be purchased ready made, but in many 
cases the mechanic finds it advisable to make his own 
solder, especially for special work. It will pay to use a 
porcelain lined kettle for making fine solders, particularly 
soft solders, because lead and tin alloy so easily with zinc 
and iron that the solder may be contaminated by merely 
melting it in an iron ladle, some portions of that metal 
being taken up and absorbed by the solder, particularly 
while at the temperature necessary for fusing. 

When making solder, weigh out the m.etals intended to 
be used, then melt the tin first, put in the lead next, which 
should be cut in small pieces_or hammered into long strips 
and fed into the tin slowly. Stir continually, using a stick 
for the purpose. Wood is desirable for stirring solder, 
for the reason that the outside is turned into charcoal, 
which has a beneficial action upon the alloy. Were an 
iron rod used for stirring, some of that metal might be 
absorbed by the alloy. 

Do not try to keep the surface of the metal clean while 
it is melting; on the contrary, it is well to keep the sur- 
face covered with a mixture of powdered charcoal and 
soda or borax. This will prevent formation of oxide or 
dross and will reduce to a metallic state some of the oxide 
which may already have formed on the surface of the 
hot metal. Stir the metal thoroughly with a piece of 
wood, as directed, and then pour into molds, which are 
preferably made of iron, and which are of the shape and 
size of those used for ordinary soldering sticks as pur- 
chased from dealers. 



38 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



A Mold for Soldering Sticks or Bars. 

While the iron mold is preferable, as noted above, the 
workman may make for himself a very inexpensive mold, 
which will answer every purpose, provided he does not 
wish to use it too often. To make up such a mold, plane 
out a stick of wood to the exact size and shape of the 
bars to be molded. From one to a dozen — any number, in 
fact — may be prepared and placed on a smooth board, side 
by side, from one-fourth to three-eighths of an inch apart. 
These sticks are patterns of the soldering sticks or bars; 
they should be made with considerable ^' draft,'' as the 
foundryman would call it, to enable the solder to come 
out of the mold easily after cooling. 



Patterns for Solder Sticks or Bars. 

After the pattern sticks have been placed as directed, 
upon a board, mix up some Portland cement, such as is 
used by concrete men, with two parts of fine sand and add 
water enough to give the mixture the consistency of cream. 
Pour this over the pattern sticks until they are covered 
to the depth of at least one-half an inch, allowing it to re- 
main from twelve to twenty-four hours, until strong 
enough to stand handhng, then turn the concrete mass the 
other side up, and pry out the wooden pattern sticks with 
a screwdriver or some other pointed tool. It is best to let 
the cement mold lie for a couple of weeks before using; 
keep it wet during that time; but, if necessary, the mold 
may be used in twenty-four hours after having been made, 
but it will probably go to pieces after one or two pourings 
of solder, while if allowed to harden or cure from two to 
four weeks it may then be used over and over again. 



SOLDERS AND FLUXES. 39 



Dry Molds before Using Them. 

Before using this mold, place it in an oven and dry 
thoroughly. It may be used without drying, but there is 
some danger that the moisture in the mold may cause the 
solder to sputter. Sometimes when the hot metal hits a 
small cavity filled with water, in the bottom of a mold, hot 
solder will fly several feet. Drying the mold, as directed 
above, will prevent any possibility of an accident from 
moisture. After drying, the concrete mold may be dusted 
with plumbago, powdered soapstone, or even whiting may 
be used to advantage. This will make the sticks of solder 
much smoother, and they will come out of the mold easier. 
A little heavy oil, such as is used in gas engine cylinders, 
may be brushed over the surface of the mold, which may 
also be sprinkled with resin if desired, but when resin 
is used the bars must be lifted out of the molds as soon 
as they set, for if allowed to remain until entirely cool the 
resin will cement them to the mold so strongly that the 
solder cannot be removed without danger of breaking the 
mold. 

It should, perhaps, be stated that the channels formed 
by removing the pattern sticks from the mold should be 
connected to a main channel passing the ends of all the 
small channels. The cast, as it comes from the mold, 
closely resembles a gridiron, the sticks of solder forming 
the bars or grids. The main piece to which the bars ad- 
here is known in shop vernacular as the '^ sow "; the small 
bars of solder hanging thereto are called pigs. A similar 
arrangement is used at blast furnaces for pouring iron 
from the smelter into merchantable forms, hence the term 
pig iron, with which we are all familiar. 



40 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



Fluxes and Fluxing. 

It was stated elsewhere that fluxes are used to prevent 
oxidization of metals, either of the solder or of the pieces 
to be united by the solder. A flux is used in certain other 
cases where it is desired to melt material not easily fused. 
In this case the substance used as a flux is more easily 
fused than the refractory material, and when once melted 
they seem to induce the melting of the refractory sub- 
stance. Not only do they transmit heat better, but they 
seem actually to lower the melting point of the substance 
to be fused. 



Mechanical Action of Fluxes. 

An idea may be obtained of the mechanical way in which 
fluxes act as transmitters of heat by performing a little ex- 
periment with a hot soldering copper. Put a bit of solder 
between two thin strips of brass and try to melt the solder 
by applying a clean copper to the opposite side of one of 
the brass strips. Unless the copper be very hot indeed, it 
will be found a slow and sometimes impossible task (the 
copper not being tinned) to melt the solder between the 
strips of brass. With a tinned soldering copper the opera- 
tion is more easily performed. Take a large strip of 
solder on the copper, place it upon a strip of brass, press 
the hot copper into the solder and see how quickly the heat 
will be transmitted through the brass and melt the solder 
A flux acts in the same way to a great extent; thus a fir q 
really has two or three offlces — first, preventing oxidizatioi. ; 
second, transmitting heat readily; and, third, seemingly 
lowering the melting point. 

In soldering, we need only take into consideration the first 
two offices, namely, preventing oxidization and transmitting 
heat readily. A flux, therefore, must be selected for each 



I 



SOLDERS AND FLUXES. 41 

operation which can protect the metal to be soldered and 
the solder to be used, and which can also withstand and 
readily transmit the degree of heat necessary for soldering. 

The Common Fluxes. 

The fluxes most commonly used are borax, a mixture of 
cream of tartar, also crude tartar, salammoniac, saltpeter 
and common salt. Charcoal may be added to the list, also 
resin and certain heavy oils. A number of fluxes will be 
described in the chapters devoted to brazing and hard 
soldering. 

Soldering Compounds. 

Fluxes are sometimes made up of several ingredients, ac- 
cording to the experience or whim of the user. In this 
condition they are called soldering compound, soldering 
paste, soldering fat, etc. Several solders were described 
above and the fluxes which may be used with them. The 
compounds may be taken as additional to the fluxes there 
described. 

Soldering Paste. 

Chloride of tin is often used in soldering when mixed 
with starch or paste until it is about as thick as cream or 
vaseline. This mixture is freely daubed over the territory 
to be soldered and stays in place under certain conditions 
better than when used in liquid form. Some tinners pre- 
fer an oily substance instead of one made in the form of a 
paste. Such a compound is called a '' soldering fat " and 
may be made by saturating one-fourth of a pound of water 
with salammoniac. The water will take on a yellow color 
and some salammoniac will remain undissolved in the 



42 SOLDEEING AND BRAZING. 

liquid. It is best to pulverize the salammoniac to make it 
dissolve more readily. Place the solution to one side for 
use later, then melt one pound of tallow and stir in an 
equal amount of olive oil, then add one-half pound of 
pulverized colophony, boiling several minutes to make 
sure the ingredients are mixed thoroughly. When nearly 
cold add the quarter pound of saturated water already 
prepared and the mixture is ready for use. 

Action of Colophony. 

This substance, which bears such a sonorous name, is 
nothing more nor less than plain resin, so when some one 
wants to sell you '^ Colophony Soldering Compound," you 
will know just what it is. Its action is similar to 
that of turpentine and even of the very volatile oil of 
turpentine, a]l of which act in the following manner: 
When heated to the temperature of melted solder, they 
decompose into hydrogen and carbon, it being under- 
stood that the carbon acts upon the dross or oxide formed 
on the joint to be soldered and wholly or partially re- 
duces the oxide, thereby rendering soldering possible. 
Later experiments by Spencer seem to prove that hydro- 
gen which is liberated at the same time the carbon is sepa- 
rated also acts as a reducing agent and takes care of a 
considerable amount of oxide which otherwise would pre- 
vent or interfere with the soldering operation. Beeswax is 
also a hydro-carbon, and in certain cases may be used 
instead of resin for a flux with soft solder. 



Use of Soldering Fluids and Compounds. 

In the making of soldering fluids, the tinsmith is often 
guided by whim or hearsay. He has used a certain solder- 
ing fluid, compound or flux, with excellent satisfaction 



SOLDERS AND FLUXES. 43 

upon one kind of work and gets the idea that it works so 
well upon one job that it is equally apphcable to all kinds 
of work. It is for this reason that we find so many 
widely different compounds and fluids used for the same 
operation, in various shops. In one shop they use acid 
(hydrochloric) for soldering brass. The writer never 
thinks of using an acid for brass if he can get hold of 
resin or a soldering compound made from that substance. 
It is in the hope that the tinsmith wiU " use his head " a 
little more than his memory, in the selection and use of 
fluxes and compounds, that the instructions relating to this 
portion of soldering are given at considerable length. The 
writer has drawn largely upon his own experience for this 
data and has also taken much from the successful practice 
of other mechanics. 



Soldering Liquids. 

Nearly every tinner has a soldering liquid or compound 
upon which he prides himself, hence the number of solder- 
ing liquids is legion. ^lost of them are good. Hydro- 
chloric (muriatic) acid represents one type of solder- 
ing fluid; chloride of tin represents another variety and 
phosphoric acid seems to be the limit in the third direction. 
Hydrochloric acid acts by corroding or dissolving the 
oxide. This acid is used in the raw state when soldering 
zinc or galvanized iron. It is applied directly to the 
surface and the soldering copper passed over them while 
they are stiU wet with acid. 



Chloride of Zinc. 

This substance is perhaps the best known of soldering 
fluids. It is prepared by dissolving in hydrochloric acid 
all the zinc the acid will take up. There is, however, a 



44 SOLDEEING AND BRAZING. 

doubt in the minds of many mechanics as to the 
permanency of joints made with this fluid. Some people 
claim that the acid is not gotten rid of during the solder- 
ing operation and that corrosion will set in sooner or later 
and eventually destroy the soldering connection by eating 
away one or the other of the metals where they come in 
contact. It is claimed that this action, though- sometimes 
slow, bound to take place and that the soldered joint 
fluxed with chloride of zinc, will, sooner or later, fall 
apart. 



A Good Soldering Fluid. 

The corrosive action of hydrochloric acid and chlor- 
ide of zinc may be eliminated and a fluid that will not 
rust iron or steel may be prepared, as follows: The usual 
amount of hydrochloric acid with all the zinc dissolved in it 
which the acid will cut, is left standing in a suitable vessel 
with undissolved zinc in the fluid. After being sure that no 
more zinc will be consumed by the acid, pour off the clear 
portion of the fluid, filter it and to every three parts of the 
solution add one part of salammoniac spirits. When 
ready to use, dilute with soft w^ater, rain water if possible, 
until it is at the strength which is known to work best. 
This fluid may be used for almost all soldering operations, 
and for tinning iron or steel. 



Lactic Acid Soldering Fluid. 

Still another substitute for zinc chloride and one which 
is non-corrosive to metal, is formed by dissolving in water 
one part of lactic acid and an equal part of glycerine. 



SOLDEES AND FLUXES. 45 



Qaudin's Soldering Fluid. 

Still another soldering fluid may be made by dissolving 
in spirits of wine some phosphoric acid and adding cryolite 
which has been reduced to a very fine powder. 



Borax and Resin Soldering Fluids, 

Borax, as well as resin, may be used for soldering in liquid 
form. When thus prepared they are usually found much 
more convenient than in the dry form. Ordinary borax 
may be dissolved in water and then applied to the work 
with a brush or a sw^ab. Resin may be reduced to a solu- 
tion by means of any Hquid which will dissolve it. It is a 
pecuHarity of most of the gums and resins that some are 
soluble in gasoline, others in alcohol, while but few can be 
dissolved by both liquids. Usually those which will dis- 
solve in one are insoluble in the other. Resin thus dis- 
solved may be kept in an air tight vessel and forms a very 
convenient flux for the reason that when apphed by a 
brush or stick, in the fluid state, the solvent readily evapor- 
ates, leaving the resin adhering tightly to the metal to be 
soldered. This is particularly desirable when soldering 
tin roofs and other work exposed to the weather, where 
wind w^ould blow loose resin away before the joints could 
be soldered. 



Flux for Aluminum 

An easily handled flux for aluminum is sulphuric acid 
and tallow. The former is apphed to the aluminum and 
dissolves the thin coating of oxide always found upon 
the surface of this metal. It is then coated with tallow. 



46 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

but salammoniac is used in some soldering operations, 
which should be done with a freshly tinned copper. 

Fluxes for Aluminum and Bronze. 

A flux, which will enable aluminum and bronze to be 
soldered with ordinary soft solder, contains a strong solu- 
tion of copper sulphate. Immerse the parts to be soldered 
in this solution, also put in a soft iron rod which must be 
made to touch both parts to be joined. This arrangement 
will cause a copperlike surface to appear on the bronze. 
The parts may then be removed from the bath, rinsed 
very clean and brightened where the solder is to adhere. 
When in this condition, the surfaces may be easily tinned 
by means of the ordinary zinc and muriatic acid solution, 
using common soft solder to unite the parts. 

Coloring Soft Soldering Seams. 

Sometimes on repair work, and also in some new work, 
it is desirable that soldered seams be colored to match the 
surfaces united. Quite a range of color can be obtained 
by the use of copper sulphate. This is the ordinary blue 
vitriol used by telegraph lines in their gravity batteries. A 
solution of this salt should be made by placing a small 
piece in a dish of water and stirring it until the water will 
take up no more of the sulphate. Paint the part to be 
colored with this solution either by means of a brush or a 
bit of cloth on a stick. While the coating is still wet, 
touch it with a bit of iron or steel when the surface will 
immediately become covered with a coating of metallic 
copper very thin and hard. By moistening several times 
and rubbing with a wire each time, the coating may be 
thus thickened until the desired color is obtained, provided 
the color can be matched by shades of copper color. 



SOLDERS AND FLUXES. 47 

Where a yellow tinge is desired, a portion of the solu- 
tion of sulphate of copper may be replaced by a solution 
of sulphate of zinc. x\pply the mixture to the copper and 
touch with a zinc rod. By varying the proportions of 
these two solutions and the manner of applying also the 
manner of rubbing with iron and zinc, almost any shade 
may be obtained from solder white to deep copper color. 
Sometimes it is necessary to gild a soldered seam; when 
this is to be done, copper the surfaces as above directed, 
then coat with a solution of gum or fresh glue and scatter 
bronze powder upon the surface thus coated. If allowed 
to dry undisturbed, the bronze powder may then be 
polished. 



CHAPTER IV. 

SOLDERING FLUIDS. 

Too much care cannot be taken in preparing both sol- 
dering fluids and soldering compounds. Dirty, sloppy prep- 
arations of these articles oft^n result in a great deal of 
loss of time in their subsequent use. When making a 
soldering fluid in which chloride of zinc is the chief in- 
gredient, place the acid in a clean vessel of glass or some 
substance not corroded by that liquid. Do not use an iron 
dish for making, keeping or storing either acid or zinc 
chloride. The tinner usually makes up from a pint to a 
quart of the solution at one time, but he must take care 
that the heat evolved during the mixing of the acid with 
the zinc does not crack the vessel in which the operation 
is performed. A good deal of heat is let loose during this 
chemical operation and the zinc is burned into ashes just 
as truly as if it were consumed in the smith's forge or in 
the tinner's fire pot. 

Precautions Necessary in '' Cutting " Zinc. 

A one quart or two quart Mason jar (such as is used 
for canning fruit) is a handy vessel for use in making 
soldering fluids. Pour the acid into the jar, then pour 
in about one-eighth to one-quarter as much pure water, 
or as pure as can be obtained. Rain water is excellent for 
this purpose, also condensed steam from a radiator. Don't 
put the water in the dish first and then pour in the acid; 

48 



II 



II 



SOLDERING FLUIDS. 49 

this method may cause an accident as very strong acid, 
coming in contact with a Httle water in the dish, sometimes 
sets up a very hvely disturbance. 



Clean the Zinc. 

Stir the solution either with a wooden stick or a zinc 
rod, but on no account stir with a piece of iron or steel. 
The mixture is now ready for the zinc, which should be 
clean. Do not put a lot of dirty zinc in acid when you 
are making soldering fluids. The zinc may be easily 
cleaned by dipping it into another dish of acid and then 
washing well before it is put into the dissolving dish. 
Good chloride of zinc can possibly be made from dirty, 
greasy zinc, but a better solution can be made from clean 
zinc, which carries no impurities on its surface. 



Avoid Acid Fumes. 

Do not put a large amount of zinc into the solution at 
one time. Drop it in, piece by piece; in this way you will 
avoid a sudden boiling or effervescence which may cause 
the solution to rise up in a mass of bubbles and overflow 
the dish in which it is being dissolved. The jar should 
be put in a large pan or set on the ground in such a way 
that should the jar crack from the heat developed inside 
of it, and the acid run out of the broken vessel, it will 
not run upon bench, tools or clothing. Better set the dish 
outside where the acid fumes will not.be breathed by the 
workmen. 

Stir the contents of the vessel occasionally, using a zinc 
rod or wooden stick in all cases for this purpose. Allow 
the zinc to remain in the solution until there is no further 
sign of any action between it and the acid. After all action 



50 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

has ceased, add a little water to the solution and note if 
any bubbling takes place. If so the solution should be 
allowed to remain in contact with the zinc until all action 
has ceased. 



Filtering the Zinc Chloride Solution. 

When no more gas bubbles can be made to appear on the 
zinc, either by shaking, stirring or adding water to the 
solution, then it should be poured out of the jar into a 
filter which may be several thicknesses of cloth, filter paper 
or a bit of clean cotton waste tucked in the bottom of a 
funnel. 

The zinc chloride solution is now ready to be stored 
until needed for use. It may be placed in another fruit 
jar, covered to keep out the dirt and set one side until 
needed, where it will not be mistaken by the workman for 
his coffee can, as it does not make a good beverage. When 
required for use, dilute with one or two parts water, as 
described elsewhere. 



Testing Hydrochloric Acid. 

There is a great difference in commercial acids as pur- 
chased for making zinc chloride. There are chemical tests 
which may be used by the tinner, but it is not always prac- 
ticable or desirable to do so as it takes considerable time. 
The best way in selecting the acid is to put it up to your 
dealer to supply the quality required. Commercial muriatic 
or hydrochloric acid is nothing but a solution of gas in 
water. Pure hydrochloric acid is not a liquid but a dense 
gas which throws off heavy fumes when exposed to the 
air and the strength of the acid depends on the amount 
of this gas which has been absorbed by the quantity of 
water. 



SOLDEKING FLUIDS. 51 



Use of the Hydrometer. 

The acid may be tested by means of a hydrometer. This 
is a Httle instrument which is placed in a deep dish of 
the acid and a reading taken which shows the depth to 
which the instrument sinJ^s in the acid. In pure water, the 
most of these instruments, the one known as Baume's 
in particular, wiU sink to the zero mark. In acid which is 
heavier than water, the instrument wiU not sink as deeply 
and in the strongest acid known it wiU not go deeper than 
the 25 degree point. Water is so fond of hydrochloric acid 
gas that at 68 degrees Fahr. a quart of water will take up 
460 quarts of this gas and the original amount of water 
wiU only be increased about one-third during the opera- 
tion. Water at 32 degrees will not take up any acid with- 
out showing it on the hydrometer scale, but at 59 degrees 
100 parts will take up one-tenth of one part of acid without 
showing it on the scale. At 10 degrees Baume there will 
be 14 or 15 parts of gaseous acid in the water; at 20 de- 
grees there wiU be 30 to 32 parts, and at 25, from 40 to 
42 parts, all depending upon the temperature of the water. 



A Home=Made Hydrometer. 

The tinsmith jnay easily make a home-made instrument 
for testing acids. All he needs to do is to purchase from 
the nearest drug store two test tubes, for live or six cents 
each, one large enough to contain the other, as shown by 
Fig. 12. The large tube should be supported in an up- 
right position. It may be placed in a hole bored in a block 
of wood, as shown in Fig. 12, or the tinsmith may, at his 
leisure, make a metal stand for supporting the instrument. 

The smaller tube, A, should be loaded at the bottom, as 
shown at D, in such a manner that it wDl stand upright 



52 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



when placed in water. The load may be of shot, pieces 
of solder or any convenient material. After the proper 
amount has been placed in the tube, which amount can be 




Fig. 12. — A Home-Made Hydrometer. 

determined by filling in until the tube will stand upright 
in the water, fix the loading by means of calcined plaster. 
Next, fit a cork to the top of the tube, as shown at A, and 
seal up by melting resin over the top of the cork with a 
hot soldering copper. 



I 



SOLDERING FLUIDS. 53 

Fill the large tube B with as pure water as can be ob- 
tained; fresh rain water will answer very well. Make a 
mark on tube A with a file, level with the surface of the 
water in tube B. The mark is shown at E. Whenever 
this instrument is placed in a substance as heavy as water 
and allowed to float, the liquid will always come even with 
mark E. When placed in a heavier than water liquid, 
mark E will be above the level and when placed in a 
liquid lighter than water mark E will be below the surface. 

Calibrating the Hydrometer. 

When acid is obtained, test it out by putting a portion 
of it in test tube B and note the level to which tube A 
sinks in the hquid. A number of marks may be scratched 
on tube A, equally distant from each other, as shown 
above and below E. These marks may be made any con- 
venient distance, say one-sixteenth inch apart, or the drug- 
gist's hydrometer can be borrowed long enough to cali- 
brate the newly constructed instrument. Whenever acid 
is tested, note to what degree mark E rises. Acid being 
heavier than water, E will be above the liquid. When 
more w^ater is added to the acid, mark E wiU go down 
orrespondingly. 

Selecting Acid by Hydrometer Test. 

As stated before, water containing loo parts of gaseous 
acid should show 25 degrees on the Baume scale. If the 
home-made hydrometer is graduated to a '' store " instru- 
ment it will be just as easily read as the druggists, but 
the temperature of the acid must be noted. When mak- 
ing tests for an acid showing 7 degrees on the hydrometer, 
it contains 9.9 parts acid at 32 degrees F. and 10.4 parts 
acid at 59 degrees. Simply note the number of degrees of 



54 SOLDERING AND BRAZINa. 

a good working acid and when purchasing a supply of that 
fluid accept, reject and pay according to the strength 
shown by the home-made hydrometer. It may be added 
that this instrument should be kept clean at all times and 
it is well to keep it in test tube B, which may be filled with 
water and tube A placed in it when not in use. 

Making Soldering Compounds. 

When making up soldering compounds, means should 
be provided for pulverizing certain of the ingredients and 
pulverizing should be as thorough as possible. A com- 
pound which contains chunks of resin or salammoniac is 
not desirable. Either mix them thoroughly by grinding 
or else dissolve them in suitable liquids, then mix together 
thoroughly and drive ofl the liquid by evaporating or dis- 
tiUing. 

It may seem like quite a problem for a tinner to com- 
bine ten pounds of resin with a pound of salammoniac 
and as much more zinc oxide without having the mixture 
full of lumps. This may be done, however, and there are 
several ways of doing it. The resin may be pounded and 
sifted through a piece of musHn or other thin cloth. The 
best way of doing this is to place the resin in a mortar or 
iron pot, pound with a wooden pestle or maul until there 
is considerable fine material in the resin. Then place over 
a sieve of about one-sixteenth inch mesh and what goes 
through may be shaken on a finer sieve. The coarse sieve 
is to prevent loading the fine muslin with coarse particles. 

Pulverizing by Chemical Methods. 

All the resin rejected by the sieve must go back and be 
pounded again, so continuing until a sufficient quantity has 
been passed through the muslin. Proceed in the same 
manner with the salammoniac. In some cases it pays to 



SOLDEEING FLUIDS. 55 

work them together. The tinner must determine this for 
himself. If he desires to experiment a httle, he can try 
chemical means of pulverizing. By dissolving resin in 
gasoline or wood alcohol he can reduce it to particles finer 
than can be separated with any sieve. Salammoniac may 
be reduced in a similar manner with water. 

These two solutions may be combined, thoroughly mixed 
and emulsified by means of a third substance, which will 
cause the two to unite. Soda will do this, common bicar- 
bonate or cooking soda. The tinner may find other sub- 
stances which will do the emulsifying and, at the same 
time, add to the fluxing qualities of the compound. 

Resin Soap, 

The mixture of salammoniac, resin and soda makes a 
form of soap which may be dried and pulverized or used 
moist in paste form. After drying, it may be mixed with 
oil and used as an oil paste which has the advantage of 
not drying out as water paste will. The finished com- 
pound should be stored in vessels which will keep it free 
from dirt and prevent waste. Too often the tinner is led 
to make up a whole lot of soldering compound and then 
leave it exposed in a bucket or keg for dirt to get into 
or for his men to waste by careless usage. Put the com- 
pound in small vessels, close them tightly and fasten on 
the covers and the compound will remain in good condi- 
tion until needed for use. Never leave soldering com- 
pounds or fluids standing around in open vessels, except 
those which are actuallv in use on the bench. 



Silver Soldering. 

Silver soldering is often termed hard soldering and the 
two terms mean about the same thing. The distinguishing 



56 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

or dividing line between hard solder and soft solder may 
be taken that any solder which requires a red heat to melt 
it is classed in the hard or silver class. Solders which 
melt below a red heat are termed soft. 

Strength of Soldered Joints. 

In almost every instance a hard solder joint is stronger 
than one made from soft solder. The difference is due to 
the hardness of the solder used, silver and copper alloys, 
of course, having greater strength than those of lead and 
tin. The writer has not at hand tables giving the strength 
of various alloys, therefore their strength must be judged 
by their composition, and it goes without saying that the 
more copper and zinc contained in the solders, the 
stronger they will be, whereas the more tin is mixed in, 
the softer will be the alloy, the more readily fusible it will 
be and the less strength it will give to the soldered joint. 

Silver Solders— When Used. 

The silver solders are not used where any other alloy 
can be made to answer. The solders made from copper, 
zinc and tin are really hard solders and should not be 
classed with the silver solders; there is really no dividing 
line between the two unless indeed it be drawn between 
solders containing silver and those containing none. 

Solders for Gold. 

Taking the position noted in the preceding paragraph, 
we may well commence at the top of the list and tell about 
hard gold solder as well as the hard silver solders. Silver 
solders contain silver, copper and zinc or brass; the gold 
solders contain gold, silver, copper and some of them con- 



SOLDERING FLUIDS. 57 

tain zinc. One or two of them contain neither silver nor 
zinc, being made of gold and copper only. The more gold 
contained in silver solder the harder it will be to fuse the 
alloy, and the greater the strength of the joint will be. 
One of the best solders used is made of gold four parts, 
and silver one part. A solder which fuses easily is made 
of gold ten parts, silver three parts, and copper one part. 
The true silver solders vary greatly according to the work 
upon which they are to be used. 

Hard Silver Solders. 

Hard silver solders are commonly divided into two 
classes. The first class is what is known as "for first 
soldering." Several grades of solder are necessary, as 
stated, and the following table gives them in the order of 
their hardness, thus I, II, III, etc., in the table devoted to 
the hardness of solder, which decreases as the numbers in- 
crease, I being the strongest : 

Hard Sil\t:r Solders for First Soldering. 

I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI 
Parts. 

Fine silver 4 2 19 57 66.7 66,3 50 11 16 6 9 

Copper 128.623.325.733.4 

Brass 3 i 10 4 i5 76 15-7 

Zinc . . 5 14.3 10 II 16.6 I I 18 35 



Softer Silver Solders. 

In the manufacture of silver ware it is frequently neces- 
sary to solder parts together and then perform other 
soldering operations to unite additional parts, for which a 
solder must be used which will melt without fusing the 
first soldering. For this purpose soft silver solders are 



58 SOLDEEING AND BRAZING. 

used, known as Softer Hard Silver Solder for After 
Soldering. The following table gives the ingredients in 
nine of these solders, the first one being the harder and 
the last one being the softer and more fusible. 

Silver Solders for After Soldering. 

I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX 
Parts. 

Medium fine silver 7 i6 i6 3.5 2 10.5 68.8 67.1 48.3 

Zinc I I II I 3 8.2 10.5 16.1 

Copper 2.6 3 4.5 2.3 24.4 32.3 

Tin 3.3 

Methods of Silver Soldering. 

Silver soldering is performed in almost ever: instance by 
means of the blow pipe. Sometimes a modification is used 
which may be operated by compressed air and in some 
kinds of silver manufacturing where large soldering oper- 
ations are to be performed, gas furnaces are used, ar- 
ranged almost exactly like the furnaces which will be here- 
inafter described in the chapters on brazing. The descrip- 
tions here given will therefore be confined, almost entirely, 
to silver soldering with the blow pipe. 

Soldering with the Blow Pipe. 

Blow pipe soldering may be roughly divided into two 
processes, the first of which consists of placing finely 
divided silver solder in the form of thin sheets or filings, 
between the parts to be united. Apply heat until the solder 
melts; the parts are forced together by pressure from a 
pair of pliers, tongs or a vise, until the objects are brought 
ink) contact in the position they are to occupy after the 
soldering is completed. 

The other method is where the objects are fitted and 
fastened together by means of iron wire, rivets or clamps; 



SOLDERING FLUIDS. 



59 



then the fluxes and solders are applied to the outer sur- 
faces before the soldering or heating operation is com- 
menced. Thus in one method, the solder, in thin sheets 
or fihngs is placed between the parts to be united which, 
after heating, are pressed together and the surplus solder 
squeezed out, almost exactly as when a glue joint is 
made. In fact this operation may well be called "gluing 
with the blow pipe." The second method of hard solder- 
ing, that of uniting the fitted and fastened parts, is almost 
exactly like the methods of brazing which are in com- 
mon use and which will be described elsewhere. 

The Blow Pipe. 

A form of mouth blow pipe was described and illus- 
trated by Fig. II on page 31, together with the pecu- 




Fig. ij. — Blow Pipe Squeeze Soldering, 



liarities and value of the different portions of a blow pipe 
flame. 

Fig. 13 illustrates the first method of blow pipe "squeeze" 
soldering. A couple of small plates which are to be joined 
together are shown at A, being held in a pair of pHers. 



60 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



The flux and finely divided solder have been placed between 
the plates and the alcohol lamp, B, has been placed in 
position so that a jet of air from blow pipe C will cause 
the flame to impinge upon the work to be heated. Of 
course if gas is used the lamp B will be replaced by the 
gas jet. 

The entire operation is very simple, in this case the 
plates A being heated until the solder between them melts ; 
the plates are then squeezed closely together by pressure 
upon the pliers, after which the pressure is maintained a 
few seconds until the solder cools enough so that the plates 




Fig, 14, — Blow Pipe Fitted Joint Soldering. 

will not slide out of place when released. The work is 
then removed from the pliers and laid to one side to cool. 
It is best to plunge the work into water as soon as the 
solder melts and the surfaces have been squeezed together. 



Blow Pipe, Fitted Joint Soldering. 

Fig. 14 illustrates the fitted joint method and the plates 
shown at D. It will be noted that they have been brought 
into contact with each other and tied together by means 
of some fine iron wire. Some bits of solder may also be 
noted on the top of the plates which rest upon a piece of 



SOLDEEING FLUIDS. 61 

charcoal E, and which becomes incandescent, greatly has- 
tening the soldering operation by preventing air from cool- 
ing the work while being heated by the blow pipe, the 
operation of which is exactly the same as shown by 
Fig. 13. 

The work-on-charcoal method shown by Fig. 14, is a 
dupHcation of the furnace method of soldering with the 
gasoline blow torch, described in connection with Fig. 9 
on page 26. 

Further description of blow pipe soldering is unneces- 
sary as the tinner who has much of this work to do will 
be able to take it up readily from the descriptions above 
given. 

A Gas Blow Pipe. 

The mouth blow pipe is suitable for very small work, but 
where joints are to be soft soldered by means of the blow- 
pipe, one fitted to use gas and air should be provided. 
Such a device is shown by Fig. 15 and consists of two 
tubes which are so brought together that tube A, which 
carries a supply of compressed air, passes inside of tube 
B, which carries gas; they unite in tube C, and, the amount 
of gas and air being controlled by means of valves, one of 
which is placed in pipe A, another in pipe B. 

The moving of these valves, by the workman's finger, 
during the soldering operation, regulates to a nicety the 
amount and proportion of gas and air to the extent that a 
little flame, one-half inch long, or a big flame, 6" or 8" 
long, may be delivered from the same blowpipe, with no 
change whatever except the movement of the valves by 
means of the finger. 

Rubber tubes are attached to tubes A and B at D 
and E, respectively. Tube E is connected to an ordinary 
gas burner, the tip being removed, or it may be attached 
to the gas supply by means of a special connection. When 



62 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



• 



no gas service exists in the tinner's locality, he may use 
acetylene gas, or he may "set up a little gasoline generator 
and use gas therefrom. The whole supply may be main- 
tained under slight pressure by means of a blower. The 
air pump and blacksriiith's blower will supply air enough 




Fig, 75. — Air-Gas Blow Pipe. 

to do a fair job of soldering with this form of blowpipe. 
It is used almost exactly as the mouth blowpipe described 
above. 



Home=Made Gasoline Blow Pipe. 

As stated above, gasoline vapor may be used with this 
form of blow pipe when illuminating gas is not to be had. 
A device for using gasoline may be quite easily rigged up. 
An air pump of the bicycle type will answer, but of course 
a power pump is better. Procure a range boiler, as shown 
by Fig. 16. One of the short boilers may be used, but a 
full size is preferable, as it contains more air capacity and 
need not be pumped up nearly as often. Close all the open- 
ings in this boiler, preferably by soldering, but screw plugs 



SOLDERING FLUIDS. 



63 



may be used if found necessary. The boiler is shown as 
lying upon its side, while the air pump is connected at B. 
It will be better to use a power driven pump, but a foot 
pump may be made to do the work if necessary. 

Connect pump to one of the openings in the boiler and 
place check and stop valves in the connecting pipe, to make 
sure of retaining what air is pumped- in. These valves are 
shown at C and D, respectively. Attach a hose to the 
other opening in the boiler head, to which a stop valve 
has already been connected, as shown at E. To this hose 




Fig i6. — Gasoline Blozv Pipe Arrangement. 



attach the gas supply tube of the blow pipe, shown at Fig. 
■15. The air tube of this instrument may be supplied and 
connected as described in connection with Fig. 15. This 
blowpipe is shown at F, Fig. 16. 

By attaching to the boiler two vertical tubes, G and H, 
a very convenient arrangement may be made by the use of 
two blow torch tubes, I and J. These torches are swiv- 
eled, so as to turn in any direction, and they may be light- 
ed up the same as though they were supplied with gas. 
When turned so that the flames meet at K a very high 
temperature will be formed, capable of melting brass when 
placed in the angle between both flames. This is a very 



64 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

convenient tool and will be found to pay for itself in a 
very short time. 

By placing a flat table on the top of boiler A, and letting 
pipes G and H pass through the table top, a very handy 
soldering arrangement will be the result. By piling some 
bricks between G and H and placing a handful of charcoal 
on top of the bricks, torches I and J may be turned on and 
ignited, when the whole arrangement will form a very good 
substitute for a smith's forge, as the charcoal lasts. 



CHAPTER V. 

SOLDERING OPERATIONS. 

Fluxes for Silver Soldering. 

There is no universal fliix for use by mechanics who 
do silver soldering, but the one which comes the closest 
to being universal is, beyond doubt, good, clean borax. 
In fact borax is the foundation of about all the fluxes 
used in hard soldering. The following fluxes may be used 
upon silver objects and all that are to be silver soldered: 
Mix one part of borax with one part, by weight, of 
washing potash. When melted together and thoroughly 
mixed, place it to cool and pound it into powder, and 
apply some of this flux to the work before heating. The 
flux will protect the surface of the work from oxide and 
it will also reduce some of the existing oxide, provided 
all conditions are right. This flux may be moistened 
with water and used in the form of a paste or it may be 
used dry in a pulverized form, as found most conven- 
ient. ' 

Another good flux for blowpipe work is boracic acid, 
41^ paits; common salt, 35 parts; ferrocyanide of potash 
(yellow prussiate of potash), 20 parts; resin, 8 parts, and 
carbonate of soda, 4 parts. The above mixture makes a 
fine flux, but it will not keep very well; it should be made 
and used fresh. If an attempt be made to keep the mix- 
ture any length of time it will be found to gradually de- 
compose, which may be known by its turning a blue color. 

Another flux which is good for certain hard soldering 

65 



66 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

operations consists of flowers of sulphur, one part, sal- 
ammoniac, three parts, and borax, ten parts. 

Boracic Acid Fluxes. 

A very fine flux for almost all kinds of hard solder con- 
sists of boracic acid. This comes in powdered form and 
looks like cooking soda. This salt may also be used for 
brazing and will be described in the chapters devoted to 
that method of joining copper and iron parts. 

Method of Applying Fluxes to Silver Soldering. 

Fluxes for silver soldering are usually made in pow- 
dered form and may be applied to the work by means of 
a small piece of metal shaped like a paddle or spatula. 
Some workmen use a bunch of bristles formed into a 
bit of tin for a handle. A bunch of fine brass wire may 
be held in a scrap of tin in the same way and proves most 
excellent for applying flux. The ordinary mucilage brush 
is an example of this method of holding bristles in a tin 
handle so they may be used as a brush. 

When Flux Should Be Applied. 

The flux should be applied as early in the game as pos- 
sible. Where there is a flat surface, put some of the flux 
upon it before beginning to heat the object. When it is 
a cylindrical article which will not hold flux to advantage, 
it must be heated slightly before the flux is applied. When 
hot enough to melt the flux, that substance will adhere 
to' the work until it melts and spreads itself over the sur- 
face thereof. Hard solder may be applied in the same 
way, but some means must be v.sed, depending upon the in- 
genuity of the workman, to keep both flux and solder in 
contact with the exact spot to be reached by them after 
they melt. More poor soldering and poor brazing is caused 



SOLDERING OPERATIONS. 67 

by poor application of flux than by any other means. If 
flux does not reach the parts to be soldered, it is quite 
likely, in fact almost sure, that the solder melts and runs 
to some other place than that which requires soldering. 

But if the flux be applied and held upon the joint where 
the solder should go then there will be little trouble in 
getting a good joint. Fine iron wire may be wound 
around the object to be soldered to hold both the solder 
and the flux. When there is trouble in keeping hard 
solder flux where it belongs, a little powdered resin may 
be sprinkled upon the object arid then heated. The resin 
melts quickly and if the hard solder flux be sprinkled upon 
the melted resin the flux will adhere and probably give 
no further trouble by slipping out of place. The resin is 
driven off by heat before the borax and other substances 
in the hard solder flux become melted, therefore the resin 
acts merely as a cement to hold the borax and hard solder 
in place until they, too, become sufficiently heated to ad- 
here to the work. 

Finishing a Hard Solder Joint. 

If a hard solder joint be removed from the fire and 
allowed to cool as soon as the solder runs, there will be 
found many lumps and streaks of solder adhering to the 
joint which present an unsightly appearance and which 
must be filed and ground away in order to finish the work 
sc> it will present an acceptable appearance. When the 
joint is firmly held in a temporary manner by means of 
a rivet, a dovetail or by binding wire, the surplus hard 
solder should be removed before the joint cools. A little 
piece of stiff wire, shaped like the household stove poker, 
answers admirably for this purpose ; a little piece of metal, 
or an old knife with a point, may also be used. 

As soon as the hard solder runs, remove the work from 
the furnace, cut off the blow pipe flame and immediately 



68 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

proceed to scrape the joint with the piece of metal in ques- 
tion. This must be quickly done as the hard solder cools 
very fast. It may be necessary to continue the heat for 
several seconds while the first of the scraping is being 
done, but hard solder cannot be scraped off readily when 
it is in an exceedingly fluid condition when it first melts 
and runs into the joint. There is a time after the hard 
solder begins to cool when it is paste like and behaves 
much like solder used in a wiped joint. This is the in- 
stant when the cleaning should be done, and by the dex- 
terous use of the scraper, which is described above, nearly 
every particle of surplus solder may be removed from the 
work, leaving it smooth and clean and requiring only 
slight sand-papering or brushing to fit it for the customer. 

Proving the Work. 

Concluding the discussion in our last chapter, it 
is always well to prove a soldered joint, especially 
when there is any doubt that the joint may not be per- 
fect. In original soldering, during manufacturing opera- 
lions, there is little necessity for proving joints, but in 
repair work they should always be tested. This may be 
done by slight bending of the joints or by jarring it by 
means of a small hammer. If it be small work, pressure 
by the fingers, tending to break the joint, will be suffi- 
cient. If there be a weakness in the soldered joint, it will 
usually develop itself under this treatment so as to be 
readily detected. Such defects are usually caused by the 
surface of one or both of the parts to be united not hav- 
ing been properly cleaned. Perhaps the oxide was not 
sufficiently removed and the hard solder, instead of unit- 
ing perfectly, with both bodies, simply attached itself to 
one of them and flowed over the other, presenting the 
appearance of a good joint, while in fact it was very poor 
indeed and would come apart at the slightest jar or strain. 



SOLDERING OPEEATIONS. 69 



Using Soldering Coppers. 

The actual operation of soldering is one of the simplest 
things imaginable; in fact it is simplicity itself, but, like 
many other mechanical operations, it is not in itself a 
single great thing, but it is made up of ver many small 
things and the neglect of these may seriously impair the 
value of the operation. While the omission of a single 
detail may not injure the work, to any extent, neglect to 
carry out several of the details will be very noticeable in 
the condition and appearance of the work. 




Fig, 77. — Taking Solder. 

About the first thing in performing a plain, soldering 
operation, after the application of the flux to the pre- 
pared joint, is to take up some solder with the copper. 
Fig. 17 illustrates the usual method of taking solder. A 
stick of "half and half" is placed so that one end is rest- 
ing on a bit of wood, a cold chisel or some similar object 
and the heated copper is pressed down upon the solder, as 
shown. A small globule of the solder is melted and ad- 
heres to and is taken up by the copper when it is removed. 
When a copper will not take up solder readily it is a sure 
indication that the copper needs tinning. 

To perform the simple operation of soldering two flat 
pieces together, lay one upon the other, as shown by Fig. 
18. Dust a little powdered borax or soldering compound 



70 SOLDERING AND . BRAZING. 

upon the joint as shown at A, then press the joint to- 
gether with an awl or the tang of a file, as illustrated at 
B. This tool may be held by the left hand while the 
copper is manipulated with the right. If the pieces of tin 
lie perfectly smooth and flat, the awl B may not be re- 
quired, but in nine cases out of ten it will be found 
necessary. 

Next take up a little solder, as shown by Fig. 17, then 
place the copper on the joint, as shown at C, Fig. 18, and 
draw the copper along the seam. The movement must not 
be any faster than will allow the solder to melt and spread 




Fig, 18. — Running a Plain Seam, 

itself along the seam. If the copper be drawn too fast, the 
seam will present an uneven and bulging appearance, while 
if the copper be moved too slowly, the solder will melt and 
spread itself over a large area on either side of the joint. 
With the work properly fluxed, the solder will flow readily 
and unite smoothly with both of the edges to be soldered, 
as shown at D. The copper can be moved along at a con- 
siderable rate of speed. Some simple seams, on long work, 
have been soldered at the rate of over 200 linear feet per 
minute, while other seams can not be soldered faster than 
one foot per minute. 



SOLDERING OPEEATIONS. 



71 



Speed of Soldering. 

The speed at which seams can be soldered, "run," as the 
workman terms it, depends upon the weight of the metal 
to be united, the kind of metal and the condition of its 
surface. Heavy metal requires more time, for the surface 
to be soldered must be raised to the temperature of melted 
solder, or nearly to that point; therefore, when soldering 
very thin tin with a heavy copper, the metal can be heated 
quickly -and the rate of speed mentioned in the preceding 
paragraph is not impossible. 

On the other hand, when soldering metal say i6 to 20 
gage, considerable time is required for heat to be trans- 




Fig. ip. — Speed of Soldering. 

mitted from the copper to the metal, hence more time is 
necessary ior soldering heavy seams. The position of the 
copper also governs the speed of soldering and is gov- 
erned, in turn, by the thickness of metal being soldered. 
In Fig. 19, which illustrates this point, a copper is shown 
in three positions. In the first it is laid flat upon the 
seam, the entire length of bevel from A to B bearing flatly 
upon the work. This gives a long body of metal from 
which heat may be transmitted to the work. This position 
of the copper should be used when heavy seams are to be 



72 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

run. Of course a heavy copper must be used and the 
longer the bevel, the better and quicker will the work be 
performed. 

The smith will see from this the importance of giving 
a long bevel to the copper with which he is going to 
run heavy seams and in the light of this knowledge, the 
enterprising workman will not be found with short, stumpy 
bevels on his coppers. 

Where the copper is laid flat from A to B, it will be 
noted that there is a film of solder between the copper 
and the work, extending the length of C. When thinner 
metal is to be soldered, the workman will "raise his hand" 
until only the point of the copper bears upon the work, 
as shown at D. This necessarily shortens the film of . 
solder between the copper and the work, until it is not 
longer than shown at E. 

The length of film E, of course, depends upon capil- 
lary attraction, that property of all fluids, no matter whether 
water or metal, which causes it to climb up the 
side of a small opening or cavity. Less heat can be 
transrnitted at the same speed of movement of the cop- 
per when only length E of film connects copper to work, 
than when length C makes a connection. At F, the 
copper is shown inclined at a still greater angle with the 
work and the film of solder is shortened to G, which is 
about as short as it is possible to make it. 

The experienced tinner makes use of this peculiarity in 
the behavior of soldering coppers, but he does it almost, 
if not quite unconsciously. When he first takes a copper 
from the fire, he will hold it a few inches from his cheek, 
in order to judge the degree of heat to which it has 
attained. 



SOLDERING OPERATIONS. 



73 



Judging Heat of a Copper, 

A very little practice in the direction noted above will 
enable a man to judge very closely the degree of heat in 
the copper and he knows almost instinctively whether 
it is hot enough to do the work in hand or whether it 
should be returned to the firepot for further heating. 
As stated above, when applying a freshly heated cop- 
per to the work in hand, the tinner places it in the 
position shown at F, and he does this without thinking 
why it is necessary. Then as the soldering proceeds and the 
iron grows cooler, he will have it approximate the con- 
dition shown at D; finally, when he returns the copper 
to the firepot for the reason that it will not melt the 
solder fast enough, he has been using it in the position 
shown at C. 

Soldering with the Corner of a Tool. 

There is another way in which a smith varies the posi- 
tion of a tool according to its contained heat, and the 




Fig, 20. — Soldering with a Corner of the Copper. 

character of the work being done. Looking squarely to- 
wards the copper from the end of the seam which we 
show at A, Fig. 20, the copper will be in the position of 
the one shown at B, the flat bevel bearing squarely upon 



74 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

the lap of the seam and the film of the solder forming 
a corner, as shown at C, and extending also between 
the sheets of metal to a considerable distance. This posi- 
tion the tool usually takes when soldering light seams at 
considerable speed. 

When heavy metals are to be used, the tool sometimes 
takes the position shown at D, the corner of the tool 
being run along in the angle made by the end of one plate 
and the side of another. 

When the tool is given this position, the heat is confined 
almost entirely to the angle in the sheets above men- 
tioned and extends much less towards D than when the 
tool is laid flat upon the surface, consequently the solder- 
ing will not be as good, the joint will not be as permanent. 
This form of holding the tool should only be resorted to 
in repair work, in some special jobs where the whole 
requirement is to obtain a soldered joint under adverse 
circumstances and the motto is "to get there and get there 
quick," no matter whether the joint lasts a week or a 
month. For new work and shop work in particular, never 
use this method of applying a copper to the seam. 



Soldering Very Light Seams. 

As stated, there are cases where it may be necessary 
to use the corner of a copper. This is especially true 
on repair work and where long and very light seams have 
to be soldered. Fig. 21 shows two methods which may 
be employed and a corner of the copper is used in both. 
The copper shown at A is placed so that the narrow edge 
of the tool presses against the edge of one of the sheets 
to be soldered. It is evident that in soldering joints with 
a tool of this kind, it must be upon the surface only, 
so to speak, and it cannot cause the solder to run under 
a sheet to any great extent. 



SOLDEEING OPERATIONS. 75 

The method of soldering, shown at A, will work on 
very thin lead sheets, also on very thin tin sheets, and 
it may also be used on soldering Brittania ware. As 
only the point of the tool or one comer thereof can bear 
upon the v/ork it is evident that no great quantity of heat 
can be transmitted to the work, therefore there is little 



i 




Fig, 21. — Soldering Very Light Seams, 

danger of melting holes in the lead or tin which is being 
united. Note the manner in which the solder at B has 
been shaped into a corner; it looks almost as though 
a piece of wax had been melted and rubbed into the 
angle. 

Soldering Fusible Substances. 

In cases where very fusible alloys must be united with 
solder, the manner shown at C, Fig. 21, may be used. 
It will be noted that here the copper is held at a distance 
above the work, which it does not touch, the section of 
soldered work being as shown in the series of waves or 
small hummocks. The copper is charged with solder in the 



76 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

manner shown by Fig. 17, then it is touched to plate D, 
and afterward immediately withdrawn to the position 
shown at E. It is now evident that all the heat trans- 
mitted from E to D must pass from one corner of the 
copper and through the globule of melted solder. 

When copper E can only impart its heat to D, 
through the film or globule of solder the joint may be 
closed as shown, by dropping upon it a succession 
of drops of solder, as shown at F. This makes a seam 
which closely resembles one made by a lead burner and 
but little heat is transmitted to plate D during the opera- 
tion. In fact this method is practically opposite to the 
method shown by Fig. 20, at B. A modification of this 
method may be employed in soldering vertical seams, 
which will be described later. 

Running Long Seams. 

The tinner never solders a seam; he "runs" it. Only 
when talking with an inexperienced person will he mention 




Fig, 22, — Running a Long Seam. 

soldering. The application of solder to a long seam and 
obtaining a smooth, even flow of the same is simplicity in 
itself, to the man who knows how. Fig. 22 shows how 



SOLDEEING OPERATIONS. 77 

to do the work properly, also how not to do it. The 
proper position of the copper is shown at A, with one 
of the bevels lying flat upon the seam as already de- 
scribed and illustrated by Fig. 20. From B to C, it will 
be noted that the seam is smooth and of even width; 
there is no ripple or wrinkle in it. In the narrow seam, 
were it not for the difference in color between the solder 
and the plate, it would be almost impossible to detect with 
the eye, where the seam commences and where it leaves 
off. In the engraving it is only possible to indicate the 
edges of the seam by means of lines. To make a seam 
which looks like this, the copper must be clean and well 
tinned and hot, but not too hot. If the film of solder 
on the copper is hot enough to show colors, then it is 
being oxidized very fast and will soon burn off. A cop- 
per is too hot when colors appear, as stated. 

Conditions Necessary for Good Soldering. 

To obtain a seam similar to that shown at B, C, 
three things are necessary. First, the condition of the 
copper, as described above. Next, the copper must be 
moved along the seam at a proper and uniform rate. 
Third, the solder must be applied evenly and regularly to 
the copper. When these conditions are fully complied 
with, the length of seam which can be run will be limited 
only by the amount of heat contained in the copper used 
in melting solder into seam B, C. To obtain a seam 
of this description the copper should be passed over the 
surface only once. A seam should be commenced, made and 
finished, complete, during a single passage of the cop- 
per over its length. 

Effect of a Cold Soldering Copper. 

When the copper begins to cool, the seam may present 
the appearance shown between C and D, which closely 



78 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

resembles a piece of torn up brick pavement. The begin- 
ner in soldering will have no trouble in running such a 
seam. It is done by using a copper which is too cool and 
pushing the copper back and forth many times, each for- 
ward and backward movement forming one of the ridges 
shown in that portion of the seam. 

After a nice piece of seam has been run, like B and C, 
and the workman finds the seam begins to take the ap- 
pearance of the one between C and D, he knows it is time 
to change the copper or reheat the one which he is using. 
The section of seam between D and E, Fig. 22, shows the 
effect of the reheated copper. This section of seam looks 
as well as that between B and C, but no matter how the 
remainder of the seam may look, the portion C and D is 
an eyesore, and it will be found a very hard and difficult 
operation to make this portion of the seam look like the 
rest, hence the necessity for making and finishing a seam 
at one operation, that is, by a single passage of the solder- 
ing copper. 

Patching a Seam, 

But a seam like that show at C, D must be patched 
up in some manner so as to look half way decent, at least. 
A method of making a smooth stop in a seam is shown by 
Fig. 23. This method is useful, not only when patching up 
a seam like C, D, Fig. 22, but also when a smooth seam 
hke A, B, Fig. 23, has been run to the limit of the 
heat contained in the copper. This necessitates a stop in 
the seam and the problem is to connect on that portion of 
the seam run by the reheated copper without forming a 
bunch o^ herring bones like that shown at B. 

As stated, the disfigurement at B was made by joining a 
new portion of the seam to one already made and cool. 
Several short movements of the copper were made in a 
vain attempt to make it smooth and even. It is safe to 



SOLDEEING OPEEATIONS. 79 

say that the seam can not be joined smoothly by any back 
and forth movement of a heated copper. The proper 
manner in which to make a stop joint of this kind is 
herewith described, and the finished joint will present the 
appearance shown, where B, C is the old seam and C, D 
the new seam. 

It will be noted that at C there is no roughness and the 
only thing discernible in the joint is a slight difference 
in the color, shown at C. This stop joint is made by plac- 
ing the hot copper flat and squarely upon the end of the 



Fig. pj. — Making a Smooth Stop in a Seam, 

seam then letting it remain there without moving, in the 
least, until the whole portion of the joint is thoroughly 
and completely melted. When this is accomplished and the 
solder is melted for the same distance towards B and to- 
wards D, then the copper can be moved along in the man- 
ner described for running a seam, when it will be almost 
impossible to tell where the stop was made except for the 
slight discoloration. 

Applying Solder. 

It was stated above that one of the conditions for run- 
ning a smooth seam is the even and regular application 
of solder. Tliis is a very important matter and one which 
the young tinner will have trouble with before he gets 
the knack of it. A good method of applying solder when 
running long seams, is shown by Fig. 22, where A shows 



80 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



the copper running the seam, F a stick of solder, and shows 
also the manner of application to copper A. The applica- 
tion should be at short and even intervals and the solder 
must not be left in contact with the copper too long at a 
time, as too much solder will be melted and the joint will 
be found heavy and irregular in size, being too large where 
much metal is run in and too small where the supply of 
solder was deficient. The stick of solder, F, Fig. 22, should 
be held in the left hand and it should be touched to the 
soldering copper at frequent and regular intervals. 



CHAPTER VI. 
DIFFICULT OPERATIONS IN SOLDERING. 

Soldering a vertical seam is neither a pleasant nor 
profitable operation and the tinner will not do it from 
choice, neither is he expected to do it except in case of 
absolute necessity. Emergency repairs furnish the only 
possible excuse for soldering vertical seams; even then it 
pays to go to a good deal of trouble and some expense, if 
thereby soldering a vertical seam can be avoided. But 
when it comes to a showdown and a vertical seam must be 
soldered, two courses are open to the tinsmith. He may 
comimence at the bottom and manage to make a bit of 
solder stick to the joint, as shown at A, Fig. 24. It will 
require quite a little juggling to do this, but once it is ac- 
com.plished, the hardest of the work is done. 

The next step is merely to deposit another drop of solder 
on top of the one shown at A, taking care that the soldering 
copper thoroughly melts the upper surface of the solder 
already in place, also that it heats the vertical surface to 
which the solder is to be attached. This work must be 
done with the point of the tool and with one corner of the 
point, as shown at A, Fig. 21 and when the drop of solder 
is deposited on top of the preceding drop, h^ ating can be 
done as shown at E, Fig. 21. It requires a little time for 
heat to travel from the copper to the work, when the 
copper is used, as shown at E. 

Having deposited the second drop of solder, proceed to 
heat another bit of the seam immediately above the second 

81 



82 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



drop and when solder from the copper will adhere to the 
heated portion, carefully run in another drop and thus add 
another section to the soldered portion of the seam. Pro- 
ceed in this way and the seam will eventually have the ap- 
pearance of several drops or ridges joined closely together, 
as shown at B of Fig. 24. Each of the ridges indicates 
where a drop of solder was worked into place. Continue 




Fig. 24.- 



-Soldering a Vertical Seam. 



in this way along the entire length of seam, taking care 
that no pin holes are left in it, something which is very 
easy to do and which proves most aggravating when it 
comes to testing and making the seam tight. 

Another way of soldering a vertical seam is shown at C. 
A bit of cloth is folded into a pad which is applied to the 
seam, as shown. Into the corner formed by the cloth and 



DIFFICULT SOLDERING OPERATIONS. 83 

the surface to be soldered, drop a globule of solder, as 
shown at D. The cloth will prevent the solder from 
running out of the seam, and it is very easy to follow up 
with the cloth as fast as the solder is worked upward. This 
is an easy way of soldering a vertical seam, but it is not a 
very scientific one, neither does it leave as handsome a 
seam as that shown at B. The cloth may be made into a 
pad similar to that used by plumbers for wiping a pipe 
joint. One of the real pipe pads will be found convenient 
and will answer every purpose. The pad should be daubed 
with tallow and the portions which are likely to come in 
contact with the heated solder may be sprinkled with 
powdered resin. 



Scraping a Seam. 

When doing some kinds of work, repair work especially, 
the surface of the metal must be scraped clean before 
soldering can be done with any assurance of making a 
good job. This is necessary when the surface is at all 
rusty or when, as in the case of tin roofs, a coat of paint 
has been applied and the tin has rusted through the paint. 
A tool for this work is shown at E, Fig. 25. For the surface 
immediately adjoining the seam the flat or outside edge of 
the scraper should be used, as it is necessary that the en- 
tire surface over which the solder is to be spread should be 
scraped clean and made free from paint or oxide. 

A section of perfectly scraped surface is shown at A and 
B. At C and D is represented a portion of surface which 
has not been properly scraped. It will be noted that the 
scraped surface contains streaks and lanes of metal which 
have not been touched by the scraper. It will also be 
noted, from a close inspection of the surface between C 
and D, that not only are there streaks and lanes of un- 
scraped metal, but the portions which have been scraped 



84 SOLDERING AND BRAZINa. 

proved to be filled with a crosswise section of surface 
which has not been touched. These crosswise parts are 
shown between C and D. They are caused by chattering 
of the scraper. That tool, instead of moving smoothly 
and evenly across the metal, jumps from one portion to 
another, leaving minute ridges, somewhat resembling teeth 
of a file. To avoid chattering and its subsequent results, 
as above stated, the scraper should be turned. slightly side- 




Fig. 2^. — Scraping a Seam. 

wise, as represented at F, and in that position it should be 
drawn along the surface under considerable pressure. It 
is quite a trick to use a scraper under considerable pres- 
sure. It is quite a trick to use a scraper and produce a 
clean, smooth surface without leaving any strips of un- 
scraped metal. 

The Scratch Brush. 

Sometimes considerable help may be given to the scrap- 
ing operation described by the free use of a scratch brush. 
A tool of this description is represented by Fig. 26. The 
toQl consists of a block of wood in which are inserted, in 
the manner usual to brushes, fine steel wires, instead of 



DIFFICULT SOLDERING OPERATIONS. 85 

bristles. Many varieties of wire are used for the purpose, 
according to the work for which they are intended. For 
scraping a surface to be soldered, the tinner should pro- 
cure a brush about 2 by 3 inches, with teeth projecting 
from 2 to 254 inches and made of fine steel strips of about 
No. 22 gauge and one-sixteenth inch wide. A brush of 
this kind, if used with plenty of elbow grease, will brighten 




Fig. 26. — Brass Wire Scratch Brush. 

the surface to be soldered very effectually, and in some 
cases it is advantageous to use a scraper in connection 
with the scratch brush. Certain portions of the surface 
may be scratched and then scraped to remove certain parts 
which the brush does not seem to get under. Again, the 
use of the scraper may be followed with a vigorous scratch 
brushing, which will clean out all the chatter marks. 



Tinning with a Scratch Brush. 

For tinning certain metals, cast iron, for instance, a 
brass scratch brush may often be used to advantage. Af- 
ter the surface has been cleaned with the scraper and a 
steel wire scratch .brush it may be brushed over with sul- 
phuric acid and a brass wire scratch brush vigorously ap- 
plied to the acid covered surface. Sometimes it is prefer- 
able to treat the surface with a scratch brush alone with- 



86 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



out the acid. In either case, a thin deposit of metallic 
brass is left upon the cast iron surface, which much facil- 
itates the soldering of that metal with ordinary soft 
solder. 



Soldering Small Work. 

The tinner must be prepared to do any kind of work, 
from soldering a couple of pins together to soldering a 
crack in the armor of a warship. Fig. 2^ illustrates a 




Fig, 2J. — Soldering Small Work, 



neat bit of work, a good deal of which used to be done, 
but which is not called for now toi any extent. Still it 
will serve the purpose of illustration. 

It used to be the rage for ladies to work all kinds of 
pictures and mottoes on cardboard with silk, worsted, etc., 
the cardboard having been perforated for that purpose. 
It was in the perforation of the cardboard that the solder- 
ing job, as shown by Fig. 27, was called for. To per- 
forate the board a system of hollow punches was used, 



DIFFICULT SOLDERING OPERATIONS. 87 

each punch being about 3-64" in diameter and hollow at 
that. These punches wer^ set in a long row, which would 
reach across the widest cardboard to be perforated. The 
row of punches moved up and down by means of a crank 
and cross head. Pieces of the cardboard to be per- 
forated were fed along underneath the punches, step by 
step, from one end to the other, until every portion of the 
paper had passed, 1-16" at a time, underneath the row of 
vibrating punches. 

As long as a punch came down without striking any- 
thing but cardboard, of course no holes would be made in 
the board, but if a small piece of brass were placed un- 
derneath the cardboard in such a way that one of the 
punches came down upon it, then a hole was punched. A 
small brass plate, having a length equal to the length of 
a row of punches, was so arranged as to have the card- 
board clamped upon the top surface thereof and to move, 
step by step, underneath the punches, with the cardboard. 

Upon this plate were placed little cylinders of metal, 
each about 1-1.6" high and the same in diameter. These 
cylinders w^ere arranged so that one of the punches would 
come dow^n squarely upon the top of each one. Thus if 
the design to be perforated in the cardboard were laid out 
in these little cylinders and then soldered to the brass 
plate D, Fig. 27, it is evident that holes would be punched 
in the cardboard corresponding to the cylinders upon the 
plate. 

This was the case, and the problem arose how to at- 
tach the little cylinders to the brass plate and attach them 
evenly. This was finally done by soldering the design 
upon the brass plate, the little cylinders being put in place, 
one at a time or a dozen at a time, according as they 
stood alone or in rows. If a single cylinder was to be 
put in place, as shown at A, its position was first located, 
then held by the needle B, and the soldering copper 
C brought to bear upon plate D, while the end of the cop- 



88 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

per bore against the cylinder A and was held in this posi- 
tion until both A and D became hot enough so that the 
solder on copper C diffused itself against A and along 
plate D. 

Then the copper was removed and needle B kept in posi- 
tion until the solder had set upon A, when needle was re- 
moved and a fine file passed over the top of cylinder, which 
was then ready to work and would cause holes to be 
punched in the cardboard whenever the proper punch, in 
its journey, came down upon A. When a straight row of 
cylinders was to be soldered, as in the letters T, H, etc., 
they should be arranged in lines and held by means of a 
piece of grainer's comb. This is a small piece of thin 
steel, cut into teeth and closely resembling a coarse comb. 
This example illustrates the minuteness of small soldering 
and the care and attention which it is necessary to use 
when doing small sections of soldering work. 

Heavy Soldering. 

In contrast with this is the heavy soldering operation 
shown in Fig. 28, which represents some thick copper upon 
a church roof, being soldered and fitted around some of 
the ornamental work. There is nothing delicate about 
this job; instead, it is the most massive one imaginable. 
The seams have to be strong and heavy, and solder is con- 
sumed by the dozen pounds when doing a job of this kind. 
Instead of the Hght, delicate copper, shown at C, Fig. 27, 
the job represented by Fig. 28 -equires the heaviest hatchet 
copper obtainable. Solder will be consumed in large quan- 
tities and heating the copper frequently will be found nec- 
essary. 

This job is commenced at E, where a pool of solder is 
melted into the angle between sheet F and G. The copper 
is held in position as shown on the drawing, and plates G 



DIFFICULT SOLDEEING OPERATIONS. 89 

and F are heated thereby until the solder E melts and dif- 
fuses itself over the surface of the plates in question. The 
copper is then moved along slowly and another pool of 
solder is flowed in, and this action is continued indefinitely. 
Unless the solder be very carefully rubbed against sheet 




Fig. 28, — Heavy Soldering. 

G or F, and unless the cleaning and fluxing be nearly per- 
fect, the joint E will not prove as strong as desired. 



Soldering with the Blow Torch. 

In work like that illustrated by Fig. 28, the blow torch 
may often be used to advantage, the heat thereof being ap- 
plied directly against E, also against sheets F and G. The 
handy soldering tool, Fig. 4, shown on page 278 of the 
November number, may be used to distribute the solder 
along the seam and to touch the places where the solder 
does not adhere readily, or, better yet, a copper may be 
used as shown by Fig. 28 and the blow torch also applied, 
letting the blast play against the solder as described, also 
against the copper, H, The blow torch, in connection with 



90 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

the soldering copper, is exceedingly useful for heavy solder- 
ing and may be employed many times to advantage, the 
only disadvantage being that one needs three hands, one 
for holding the copper, one for the blow torch and one for 
soldering. 

Soldering Heavy Work with a Light Copper. 

The blow torch method, as described above, is partict:- 
larly applicable to heavy work when only a light copper is 
available. Heat from the torch will almost keep the cop- 
per at working heat all the time, and when but one copper 
is at hand and work must be rushed out, the blow torch 
will be found a useful addition to the means of heating the 
copper. It is best not to run too large a flame when 
soldering as above. A small flame applied close to the 
point of the soldering tool seems to do the work better 
than a large flame sent against the body of tool. 

Method of Tinning Brass and Copper. 

Brass and copper tin readily and the process is an easy 
one. It is only necessary that the surfaces be clean and 
covered with a light flux of resin, oil or salammoniac. Any 
of the soldering fluids or soldering compounds may be used 
for tinning these metals, but salammoniac seems to be the 
natural flux for copper. It removes the oxide easily and a 
considerable coat of oxide may be removed with a flux con- 
sisting of powdered borax, powdered salammoniac and 
a little resin rubbed over the surface of the copper by 
means of a heated soldering tool. 

It pays, however, to brighten the surface of copper with 
a scraper, a file, with sand paper or emery cloth before be- 
ginning to tin. For tinning some objects, both of brass and 
copper, there is nothing better and more convenient than a 
tinning brick, as shown by Fig. 8, on page 302 of the De- 



DIFFICULT SOLDEEING OPERATIONS. 91 

cember number. Just place the article in a little puddle of 
solder on the brick, rub it back and forth vigorously with 
the copper and in less time than it takes to tell it, the tin- 
ning will be found complete and of the first quality. Brass 
may be tinned in the same manner as copper. It takes 
solder with even more readiness than the first named 
metal. Resin is the only flux required, but, as stated, 
almost any flux may be used with brass as well as with 
copper. 

Tinning Zinc Surfaces. 

•Zink is the most peculiar metal and requires treatment 
approaching that of cast iron. Zink can be tinned with 
resin, with salammoniac and with several of the compounds 
and soldering fluids described in the preceding pages. The 
chloride of zinc solution may also be used for making 
solder take hold of zinc, but nothing known to the writer 
vv'orks as rapidly as raw muriatic acid and the acid need 
not to be too strong. Dilute with water to a certain point, as 
described in the February number. The acid takes hold of 
the zink in a manner which permits hot solder to flow, as 
one tinner aptly stated it, '' right under the surface." No 
soldering fluid known to the writer, as stated before, acts 
as readily w^ith zink as raw muriatic acid. The term '' raw " 
is used to distinguish this form of acid trom "cut" acid, 
which is the name given by the tinner to the chloride of 
zinc solution. 

Heating with a Torch and Tinning with a 
Copper. 

The several tinning operations described above and below 
may be expedited by heating the work with a blow torch 
and tinning it with a hot copper, in the usual manner. A 
well heated article tins much more readily than one which 



92 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

is cold or which is only heated locally by the soldering 
copper. Bear in mind that all heat used in tinning comes 
from the copper and it will be readily seen that the copper 
must soon become cool to a point where it will not melt the 
solder. By heating with a blow torch, not only is the work 
done quicker, but much better results are obtained than is 
possible when tinning with the copper alone. 

Tinning Iron and Steel. 

The usual way of tinning iron and steel is by treatmg 
the surface with chloride of zinc and then applying solder 
with a hot copper in the usual manner. This requires a 
good deal of work and on large surfaces, the operation is 
rather costly. There is a method of electro-tinning which 
is very seldom used, but it may be employed with good re- 
sults when large surfaces have to be done. From two to 
three volts are necessary. Steel and iron should first be 
covered with copper before going into the tinning bath. If 
it is not desirable to copper iron and steel articles, they are 
first treated with a bath composed o^ fused protochloride 
of tin, one ounce in about thirteen gallons of water, then 
about two pounds of ammonia alum is dissolved in the 
mixture and the iron is boiled in this solution after having 
first been cleaned thoroughly and rinsed in cold water. 

Steel and Iron Tinning by Bailing. 

The bath is kept at its working strength by adding fused 
protochloride of tin as required. Iron and steel comes 
from this bath covered with a film of tin which is of a 
dull white luster, but adheres so strongly that it may be 
polished. 

An alkali bath is sometimes used which consists of 4 
quarts of water and 28 ounces of tin salts dissolved in the 
water. A precipitate is formed which requires potash lye 



II 



DIFFICULT SOLDEEING OPERATIONS. 93 

with a strength of lo degrees Baume to dissolve. This 
precipitate is zinc hydrate, and it is dissolved by the pot- 
ash lye. If desired an ounce or two of potassium cyanide 
may be added, but from 3^ to 4 volts are required with 
this bath. 

Tinning by Contact 

Iron and steel may be tinned in a boiling tin bath by 
contact with zinc, pieces of which are suspended in the 
bath with the objects to be tinned. A bath for this pur- 
pose consists of 20 quarts of rain water, 28 drams of 
fused protochloride of tin and 7 ounces each of alum and 
pulverized tartar. These solutions must be boiling when 
used. 

One of the best methods of tinning iron is to make up 
a solution of chloride of tin, almost exactly as ordinary 
chloride of zinc is made. Common block tin may be 
dissolved in hydrochloric acid, and if a little mercury is 
added it may be used for cold tinning. 

Another rule is to use i part of tin to 2 of zinc and 
6 of mercury. The mercury and tin, when mixed to- 
gether, form a soft paste. The objects to be tinned should 
first be treated with potash to get rid of all greasiness, 
then moistened with hydrochloric acid. It is better to 
rub on the acid with a cloth or a brush. Cotton or sim- 
ilar fiber must be used for this purpose. Acid will quick- 
ly eat up any animal fiber, either woolen or bristles. 

After the hydrochloric acid has been rubbed on apply 
a little of the tin paste described above and rub it over 
the surface with the same cloth used with the acid. The 
amalgam will spread itself over the surface and cover the 
iron and steel articles completely with a coating of tin. 
Steel surfaces covered with tin in the manner above de- 
scribed may then be soldered as if they were ordinary tin 
plate. 



94 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



Tinning Hard Steel. 

The articles to be tinned should be placea in dilute sul- 
phuric acid and scratch brushed or scrubbed until every 
bit of scale has been removed. Mix up a bath of hydro- 
chloric acid, I part in 20 parts of v^^ater, and suspend the 
articles in this bath for a few seconds, then immerse the 
object in a bath of tin v^hich has barely melted. There 
should not be any more heat used than is necessary to 
make the tin fluid. If this precaution is taken the melted 
tin will not injure the hardness of the steel. Ordinary 
soft solder (half and half) melts at 466 degrees, according 
to the table given in a previous number. Pure tin is sup- 
posed to melt at 442 degrees, but steel workers claim that 
the first tinge of color shows at 460 degrees; therefore, 
the tin bath, as it is used for tinning hard steel, ap- 
proaches dangerously near the tempering point, so that 
there is great likelihood that the hardness will be affected 
when the tinning bath is used. 

Ordinary soft solder (half and half) could be used as 
stated, according to Brannt, but not according to Kent. 
Brannt says this alloy melts at 370 degrees, while Kent 
says it melts at 466, or higher than the discoloring tem- 
perature of hardened steel, therefore caution must be used 
in employing a tinning bath. By using 2 parts tin and i 
part lead, which melts at 360, according to Kent and 340, 
according to Brannt, the tinner will be pretty safe as re- 
gards soldering without injury to the temper of steel 
springs and other hard objects, therefore if one uses a 
bath of 2 parts tin and i of lead he can be reasonably 
sure that the hardness of steel will not be injured. 

If the steel articles have been oil tempered there will be 
trouble unless strong soda or potash is used for removing 
the oil. If tempering has been done in tallow there will 
be no trouble, as this substance does not interfere with the 



DIFFICULT SOLDERINa OPERATIONS. 95 

adhesion of tin to steel, but where fish oil and mineral oil 
has been used it must be removed by alkali and the sur- 
face of the steel put into that condition known as *'chem- 
ically clean." 

Soldering Blued Steel. 

Articles which have been tempered or blued and show 
a light color, either straw or blue, cannot be tinned with- 
out first removing the thin film of oxide which gives color 
to the hardened and tempered steel. A bath of dilute 
hydrochloric acid is necessary to remove this thin film of 
oxide; it will require only a few seconds* immersion to do 
so, after which the object should be dipped into the lead 
and tin bath while wet; place it immediately in the melted 
bath, as quick as it comes from the acid, and the lead and 
tin alloy will immediately coat the surface and form an 
excellent foundation for further soldering. 

Tinning Rusty Iron. 

Rusty iron or steel may be tinned in about the same man- 
ner as described elsewhere for clean iron and steel, with 
the exception that a preliminary operation is necessary for 
removing the coat of oxide or rust. This may be done by 
immersing the article in a solution of sulphuric or hydro- 
chloric acid. In many cases the writer prefers to use me- 
chanical means for removing the rust before placing in the 
acid. For this purpose the emery wheel, the scraper and 
the scratch brush may be used, as thought necessary. After 
most of the rust has been chemically removed the metal 
may be placed in the acid solution, which will eat under 
the coat of rust to an extent that renders it possible to rub 
off the coat of old oxide with a brush. The action of the 
acid upon the metal is to oxidize the surface. If left to 
become dry, this coat of oxide will effectually prevent 



96 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

solder from adhering to the metal, but if solder be applied 
during the acid oxidizing process, the metal then being 
clean and free from either rust or grease, the melted tin 
and lead alloy will readily unite with the surface of the 
iron. Therefore, to tin rusty cast iron or rusty iron of any 
kind first remove the rust and then proceed by either proc- 
ess, described above, to coat the metal with tin or solder. 

Tinning Galvanized Iron. 

It is not absolutely necessary to tin galvanized iron be- 
fore the soldering operation is begun, but it must be tinned 
before it can be soldered. The tinning operation may 
proceed at the same time that the soldering is being done. 
Chloride of zinc is not satisfactory for tinning galvanized 
iron ; the best liquid to use is raw hydrochloric acid, which 
should be applied just before the copper is passed over the 
surface. As the hydrochloric acid dissolves the surface of 
the zinc and decomposes it into chloride of zinc or a solu- 
tion of soldering salt, thus making ready the surface, acted 
upon by the zinc, to receive the solder at once. 

Soldering Galvanized Iron, 

When galvanized iron is to be soldered, it should be treated 
with strong raw hydrochloric acid, as noted above, then 
a well tinned copper, of large size, should be used and a 
plentiful supply of solder should be melted directly into 
the acid which has not evaporated from the surface to be 
soldered. The copper should be rubbed many times over 
the parts to be soldered so as to work the solder well 
down into the surface of the galvanized metal. As on 
tinner stated the matter, 'The solder gets right down 
through the sheet" when raw acid is used. When chloride 
of zinc is used the solder does not go as deep into the metal 
as when raw hydrochloric acid has been applied. 



DIFFICULT SOLDERING OPERATIONS. 97 



Fitting Work Together. 

When rusty iron or steel objects must be soldered to- 
gether or any other pieces of metal as well, they must be 
closely fitted together if a strong joint is desired. There- 
fore in repair work where rusty objects are to be joined, 
scrape them clean and then ' hammer them closely to- 
gether. As stated elsewhere, pieces cannot be fitted so 
close together that melted solder will not find its way be- 
tween them and as also stated, the less solder in the joint, 
the stronger that joint will be. Hence the closer together 
the parts are fitted, the greater strength will be possessed 
by the joint after it is soldered. 

Where th'^re is an appreciable distance between two 
pieces which are to be soldered, it will pay to fit in a third 
piece of metal between them and make two soldered joints 
instead of one. The work will be much stronger, for the 
tensile strength of solder is quite low, and it is much 
easier stripped from the tin when there is an appreciable 
thickness of solder than when it is very thin and the ob- 
jects are in intimate contact with each other. 



Soldering with Tinfoil. 

In some kinds of work, particularly in model work, 
where brass objects of considerable thickness are to be 
joined, tinfoil is used instead of solder. The surfaces are 
cleaned and made free from grease with a potash or a soda 
solution, then treated with a chloride of zinc solution and 
placed, one upon the other, in the exact position they are 
to occupy when soldered with a very thin sheet of tinfoil 
j between them. The objects are then heated and pressed 
I together, the tin unites with the zinc chloride and with the 
surfaces to be soldered and they are strongly united, pro- 



98 SOLDEEING AND BEAZING. 

vided they have been well fitted and pressed together suffi- 
ciently — so strong are they and so closely united that it is 
difficult to detect the fact that they have been soldered. 



Sweating a Joint. 

A variation of the tinfoil method consists of tinning 
both surfaces in the ordinary v^ay, then pressing them to- 
gether and heating until the solder, which is coated over 
the surfaces, melts and flows out from between them. The 
pressure should be sufficient to squeeze out all the solder 
possible and it is very essential that not a bit of solder 
be left between the surfaces and that no dirt be in the 
solder used for making the joint. After having been heated 
and pressed together as above, the objects are left until 
cool, when they will be found united more or less perfectly, 
according to the skill with which the sweating operation 
was performed. 

Removing Superfluous Solder. 

The operation described above necessarily causes a col- 
lection of superfluous solder on the outer edge of the parts 
which have been united. It is quite a task to remove the 
excess of solder after the objects have become cool, but it 
may be wiped off readily while they are still hot. For this 
purpose a bit of cotton waste may be used, or a piece of 
cloth folded several times makes a very good w^per. On^ 
of the best things for this purpose is one of the little wipe 
pads used by plumbers when making a wiped joint. 
. In tinning brass, or even iron, superfluous solder may 
also be removed from seamxS by means of the wiping off | 
process noted above. The ''tenderfoot" on the soldering I 
range frequently gets too much solder on the work, and 
the experienced tinner sometimes drops a bunch of solder 



DIFFICULT SOLDERING OPERATIONS. 99 

where he does not want it. In cases of this kind just 
put the hot copper in the midst of the bunch of superfluous 
solder, letting the copper remain there until the solder is 
t\^ell melted and begins to spread itself over the surface. 
Have a folded rag or a pad in one hand, the copper being 
held in the other. Bring the rag close to the copper, un- 
til the solder spot is thoroughly melted, then with one 
motion pull the copper out of the way and follow it close- 
ly with the folded cloth. Give a rotary motion of the cloth, 
so as to bring a fresh surface against the solder. As the 
wiping proceeds, every particle of the solder may be 
cleaned off the work by a single movement of the hand 
in the manner above described. 

Occasionally it may be necessary to make two or three 
wipes, but by allowing the copper to transmit its heat to 
the bunch of solder for lo or 20 seconds an area 2 inches 
in diameter may be heated and wiped at one operation, or 
by giving the copper a lengthwise movement a longer and 
narrower strip may be cleaned off, as above directed. 



Spirits of Salt. 

Occasionally a. tinner, particularly one of the old school, 
may be heard to tell about soldering with ^'spirits of salt." 
When hearing this dealer in would-be mysteries thus set- 
ting forth his supposed superior knowledge one may smile 
cO himself because he knows that the fellow really means 
hydrochloric acid. Common salt is chloride of sodium 
and hydrochloric acid is simply water which has absorbed 
thlorine gas, as noted previously. Hydrochloric acid may 
be made by the action of sulphuric acid on common salt. 
The result is a large quantity of chlorine in the form of 
gas, w^hich may be caught by water until the latter be- 
comes saturated. The remainder of the salt is changed 
into a carbonate instead of a chloride by action of the 



100 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

acid and becomes washing soda or salsoda, and by refine- 
ment bicarbonate of soda, or cooking soda, such as is used 
for household purposes. 

The tinner sometimes calls muriatic acid ''spirits of 
salt," because of the manner in which it may be obtained, 
as above described. When he speaks of "killed spirits of 
salt" he means hydrochloric or muriatic acid in which has 
been dissolved all the zinc it will take up or "cut." 



CHAPTER MI. 

WIPING JOINTS. 

Soldering Lead Pipe. 

Beyond all question, the best and strongest joint for 
lead pipe is that type which is known as a "wipe joint/' 
A description of this- joint will be given on the pages fol- 
lowing, but the tinner is not supposed to 'know anything 
about that kind of work. When the tinner has lead pipe 
to solder, he usually makes a joint somewhat as shown by 
Fig. 29. One of the pipes, A, for instance, has been 




Fig. 2p. — Soldering Lead Pipe. 

flanged outward sufficiently to receive one end of the 
other pipe B, then the corner or angle between them at 
C is filled with solder, which has been run in with a hot 
copper and made to adhere to both pieces of the pipe. By 
this method of soldering lead pipe, the problem becomes 
merely one of heavy soldering, as described in the pre- 
ceding chapters and illustrated by Fig. 28. 

A pipe to be soldered by this method is first sawed off 
squarely by means of almost any kind of saw; a common 

101 



102 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



hand saw answering the purpose very well. A tapered 
plug is then procured, as shown in Fig. 30, and the small 
end is driven into one of the pipes to be soldered. This 
plug is not large enough to expand the pipe as much as 
required, therefore, after it has been driven in a short 
distance, it is given a rotary movement with the hand and 
rolled around and around just inside the end of the 




Fig. JO. — Pipe Expanding Plug. 

pipe, thereby acting like the rolling mill to stretch the 
end of the pipe, little by little, until it has expanded to 
the required size and shape. When the pipe does not 
respond readily to the rolling operation, the tinner will tap 
on the side of the plug with a mallet, thereby hastening 
the operation. 

In some sections of the country, the tinner uses differ- 
ent shaped plugs for expanding pipes. Plugs shaped 




Fig. J7. — Parabolic Expanding Plug. 

somewhat similar to that shown by Fig. 31 are to be found 
in use in some localities. This plug is used by simply 



WIPING JOINTS. 103 

driving it into the pipe the required distance. It is a 
much handier device and does the work quicker, but does 
not last as long as the plug shown by Fig. 30. 

A piece of pipe which is not treated properly by either 
of these plugs will look like A, Fig. 29. The end of the 
other pipe should have nothing done to it except that the 
end to be soldered should be filed off as shown by Fig. 
32, at E. 

The bevel is made such that when the pipe takes the 
place of the piece shown by B, Fig. 29, it fits tightly into 
pipe A, shown in that figure. This permits the inside of 
the pipe to remain smooth and straight without a lump 
or a cavity in it. Lumps may be made in poorly fitting pipes 



Fig. 32. — Male End of Pipe Joint. 

by some of the solder leaking through into the interior 
and remaining attached to the joint, thus reducing the 
pipe area a corresponding amount. 

Pipes A and B, Fig. 29 may be brought very close to- 
gether by pressing one into the other, and while the pres- 
sure is maintained, tap lightly all around pipe A with a 
piece of wood or a mallet. In this practice of pressing 
the pieces of pipe into intimate contact with each other, 
the irregularities are shaped down so that they fit each 
other, and it only requires a minute or two of this work 
to make an almost perfect fit between two pipes. 

The soldering is preferably done while the pipes are in a 
vertical position, but the tinner will be able to solder 
them in almost any position. When they lie flat he must 
use one of the methods described in the preceding chap- 



104 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

ten He will commence at the bottom of the seam and 
work in the solder, holding it there with the wipe pad 
until he is sure both surfaces have been heated sufficiently 
for the solder to adhere. A joint of this kind may be 
fluxed with common resin or common tallow may be used, 
which is the flux usually employed on lead pipe when 
joints are to be wiped. 

Having made sure that the bottom of a horizontal joint 
is well soldered, proceed a bit up towards the top accord- 
ing to the method described, until the entire joint has 
been closed in that manner. If it is desired to make a fine 
appearance of the joint, the solder which is in sight, as at 
C, Fig. 29, may be rubbed down smooth with a file or a bit 
of sand paper wrapped around a stick. When the pipe 
stands vertically, it should be arranged with piece A at the 
bottom. This permits a fine appearing joint to be made 
at C with no finishing whatever except that made by the 
hot soldering copper. 

Imitation Wipe Joints in Pipe, 

Sometimes the tinner is required, particularly in making 
repairs, to imitate a wipe joint, in appearance at least, 
This he may do, using an ordinary soldering copper and 
a rag or the wipe pad for the purpose. The pipe is pre- 
pared for the operation precisely as described for solder- 
ing, as shown by Fig. 29. One end of the pipe is ex- 
panded and the other end is filed to fit inside of the 
expanded portion, "^ig. 33 gives some idea of a wipe- 
soldered pipe joint and the manner in which it may be 
made. 

The pipes having been put together and hammered 
lightly until they fit closely and fastened either by placing 
bricks upon them or by otherwise holding securely, the 
pieces of paper A and B are wrapped around the pipes as 
shown and fastened with paste, pitch, oil or a string. 



WIPING JOINTS. 



105 



These pieces of paper are to prevent solder from adhering 
to that portion of the pipe covered uy them. Next the 
hot copper is brought 'nto play and that portion of the 
pipe between the two pieces of paper is scraped clean and 
bright. The tool marks made by the scraper are shown 
at C. That portion of the pipe shown at D must be 
scraped clean and the scraping must be continued to the 
end of th , pipe inside of the joint, therefore the scraping 




Fig, jj. — A Wipe-Soldered Pipe Joint. 
must be done before the pipes are placed together, as 



shown. 



Making Wipe Joints. 



While the tinner takes pride in running a continuous 
seam without showing the slightest irregularity in width 
or hight, free from all lumps, bunches and imperfections 
of every kind, the supreme test of the plumber's ability is 
to be able to wipe a joint in a neat and expeditious man- 
ner. Wiping joints is a very peculiar kind of soldering, 
and is used principally on lead pipe, but it need not be, by 
any means, confined to that metal, as it will work equally 
well with brass or copper. Even iron pipes may be put 
together with wipe joints if it is found necessary or 
desirable to do so. 

A wipe joint, as ordinarily known and used, is the 
uniting of two or more pieces of pipe by means of a thick 
layer of lead and tin alloy, which is put in place while 



106 SOLDERINO AND BRAZING. 

in a plastic condition and finished by being rubbed back 
and forth with the cloth pad until solid enough to stay 
in place without being supported by the wipe pad. 

Tools for Wiping Joints. 

Different tools are required for wiping joints than are 
necessary for soldering ordinary seams. The copper is 
not used, the heat being applied by a stream of melted 
metal. The tools required for wiping joints are few and 
simple. A melting pot, shown by Fig. 34, is the principal 
tool. It is a small cast iron vessel, which will hold from 



Fig, 34. — Melting Pat Used When Making Wipe 
Joints, 

5 to 10 pounds of lead. It is usually heated over a firepot 
in the same way that coppers are heated. With this tool 
is used the ladle. Fig. 35, which is a small wrought iron 
or steel affair, having a bowl perhaps 2j^ inches in diame- 
ter and three-quarters of an inch deep. 

Scraping a Pipe to be Wipe Jointed. 

Pipe is prepared for a wipe joint almost exactly in the 
manner shown by Fig. 29. The scraper is used and the 
manner of its application is illustrated by Fig. 36. Every 



WIPING JOINTS. 107 

particle of the outer coating of oxide is removed from the 
pipe, and every particle must be removed or a perfect wipe 
joint cannot be made. The pipes are then put together 




Fig. 55. — Ladle Used for Making Wipe Joints. 

precisely as shown by Fig. 2>2>y except that the female end 
is not expanded quite as much as for the wipe soldered 
pipe joint or for a straight, soldered joint. It is only 
necessary that one of the pipe ends be enlarged sufficiently 
to contain the other end. 

Having scraped the pipes, expanded and placed them to- 
gether, a piece of paper or some blacking is put on each 
pipe, as shown at A and C, Fig. 37. The object of the 
blacking or paper is to prevent the solder alloy from adher- 
ing to the pipe, except on the portion B, which is to be 
covered by the joint. The pipes are placed in the exact 
position they are to occupy when the joint has been com- 
pleted. Some pieces of scantling, or some bricks, F and 
G, are laid on the floor, as shown, and the pipe carefully 
assembled upon them. To keep the pipe in position, some 
bricks, D and E, are placed as shown, thus holding the 
pipe firmly in place upon the bricks or scantling, above 
noted. The portion to be wiped, shown at B, is covered 
with a thin layer of tallow, which acts as a flux. 

Solder for Wiping Joints. 

The solder necessary for wiping joints depends upon the 
melting point of the metals to be joined. Lead melts at a 



108 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



temperature of 626 degrees Fahrenheit. The solder used 
must have a melting point less than the lead in order that 
the solder may be poured over the joint to be wiped until 




Fig, 36, — Scraping Pipe to Be Joined. 

the surface of the pipe has become heated to the required 
degree. To make up a solder best adapted to making 
wipe joints, an alloy should be selected which melts far 




Fig, 57. — Lead Pipe Prepared for a Wipe Joint. 

enough below the melting point of the lead so as to insure 
perfect safety against the lead pipe being fused by the 
solder. 



WIPING JOINTS. 109 

Pure tin melts at about 455 degrees and the problem is 
to select an alloy of lead and tin which fuses considerably 
below the melting points of pure lead or tin. Half and 
half solder should melt at 370 degrees. Two and one 
solder — that is, two parts of lead and one of tin, should 
melt at 441 degrees. The plumber frequently makes up a 
pot of solder, to suit his fancy, by melting down a couple 
of sticks of half and half solder and then adding about an 
equal weight of lead pipe to the melting pot. This gives 
an alloy with a melting point which should not prove in- 
jurious to pure lead, and the solder thus obtained may be 
applied to the prospective wipe joint without fear of melt- 
ing or otherwise damaging the pipe. 

Heating a Pipe for Wiping a Joint. 

Having prepared a pot of wiping solder, as above de- 
scribed, heat it until barely melted. A very good way to 
determine the proper temperature at which wiping solder 
should be used is to insert a clean, soft wood stick in the 
solder and note whether the alloy is hot enough to burn 
or char the outside of the wood. A bit of white pine, 
whittled sm.ooth, is best, but white wood will answer, 
though it is not as satisfactory as white pine. A common 
match, with the head held in the pliers and the opposite 
end inserted an inch or so in the hot metal, will tell the 
story. If the wood does not- char after being immersed 
a second or two the metal may be regarded as being at 
the proper temperature, and heating of the joint may be 
commenced preparatory to the wiping operation. 

Applying tlie Melted Solder. 

The beginner in joint wiping should bear in mind that 
the making of a wipe joint is carried out in three sepa- 
rate and different operations. The first is preparatory, 



110 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



and consists of scraping and placing the work in posi- 
tion, as already described. The next operation is the 
heating of the pipe. The pipe must be heated as thor- 
oughly as when applying solder with a copper, but there 
being no copper used in making wipe joints, the neces- 
sary heat must be applied by and from the melted solder. 
Fig. 38 shows the beginning of the heating operation. 
The lamp black or paper stops, A. and B, having been 
applied at the extremities of the proposed wipe joints, 




Fig. j(?. — Beginning a Wipe Joint, 



m 



and the surface, C and D, having been scraped and cov- 
ered with tallow immediately after they are brightened, 
the pad E is placed underneath the joint. It may be 
held in the hand, supported by a couple of fingers, which 
are protected from the hot metal by the pad itself. It 
may be better, safer, at any rate, for the beginner to 
spread a paper on the floor underneath the pipe and not 
try to catch the heating solder. Be this as it may, the 
experienced wiper will take a small portion of melted 
solder in ladle, F, and pour a very small stream, as 
shown, upon the pipe at G. The stream of solder should 
be the smallest that it is possible to pour. Seemingly 



WIPING JOINTS. Ill 

the stream of solder is not larger than a needle; certain- 
ly it should never be larger than a match, and should be 
poured so slowly that while it leaves the ladle in a con- 
tinuous stream, it breaks up into drops by the time it 
reaches the pipe at G, and falls in a series of splashes 
over the pipe. The workman will hold the ladle far 
enough above the pipe so that the metal separates into 
globules or drops as it reaches the pipe, but not so high 
that the metal splashes or spatters. In fact, the hot 
metal must stay right where it strikes, otherwise there 
will be danger of burning the fingers. 

The ladle should be moved around and around until 
the hot metal hits successively at H, I, etc. — in fact, is 
carried all over the surface of C and D, and finally a 
bunch of metal gathers at J and is caught upon pad E, 
which need not be held close under the pipe, but may be 
at C During the heating operation the beginner's pad 
may be replaced by a piece of cloth or paper laid on the 
floor. 

Returning Solder to the Pot, 

After a few seconds' pouring of the melted alloy, a 
considerable bunch of metal will have collected at G, and 
as the pouring continues and the heating advances this 
bunch of solder will slide off and fall upon E, as shown 
at J. This shows that the heating operation is progress- 
ing satisfactorily, and the stream of metal should be at 
once directed on some other portion of C and D in or- 
der to heat those portions also. The novice may use 
half a dozen ladlefuls of metal in the heating operation, 
but an experienced person will not use as much. 

The accumulation at J, which falls upon the pad, may 
be returned to the melting pot, or if the metal in F seems 
too hot, some of the metal caught at J may be returned 
directly to F, thereby reducing the temperature of the 



112 SOLDERING AND BEAZING. 

hot metal to a more satisfactory point. As the heating 
progresses a bunch of semifluid metal can be heaped up 
on top of the pipe, as shown at A, Fig. 39. The pad B 
is shown in the position of pushing the mass of solder, 
A, in an upward direction. 

It is evident that heat from the mass of semifluid 
solder, A, will dispose itself lengthwise along the pipe 
until the solder is so far cooled that it will soHdify, or, 
in other words, it freezes, for that is exactly what hap- 
pens when any alloy is cooled below its melting point. 
The mechanic will watch this very closely and move 
solder A about the pipe by means of pad B; he will no- 



Fig. jp. — Heating the Joint, 

tice if it begins to adhere to some portion of the pipe, 
and immediately pour a little more hot solder into the 
mass at the point where it is inclined to freeze. In this 
way the workman is able to keep the mass moving over 
the entire surface of the pipe which is to be covered by 
the joint, and the moving is continued until the workman 
sees that the solder adheres to each and every portion of 
the scraped surface. As in soldering with a copper, it 
requires a little rubbing of the surface to be soldered. 
The wiped joint is no exception to this rule. 

The melted mass A is rubbed around on the joint un- 
til it adheres closely to every point of the scraped and 
tallowed surface shown at C, D, Fig. 38. If too much 
melted solder be applied the mass A, Fig. 39, will be- 



WIPING JOINTS. 



113 



come fluid and will slump off; in other words, it will 
slide off the pad B and fall upon the floor, in spite of all 
the workman can do to prevent it. Such accidents will 
happen many times to the inexperienced plumber; he 
should "let her slide" and devote all his energies toward 
keeping the hot metal off his fingers until he has learned 
to control the mass of alloy. After the trick has once 
been learned it is surprising how easy it is to keep half 
a pound of solder moving around a piece of lead pipe 
with a single wipe pad. The solder seems to stick of its 
own accord, and, in fact, it would be more work to get 
it off the pipe than to keep it in place. This is because 
the necessary ''know how" has been attained. 

Coating a Wipe Joint. 

Having gotten some of the solder so that it may be 
wiped around and over e\-ery portion of the proposed 
joint, the workman lays the ladle one side and takes 
another pad in the hand and proceeds to work the solder 
over and under and back and forth, as shown by Fig. 
40. The object of this -is to make sure that the solder 




Fig. 40. — ''Working'' Solder on a Wipe Joint. 



adheres perfectly to each and every portion of the joint. 
The edges of the pad are brought close down to the pipe 
at the points A and B, C and D, and the forefinger and 



114 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



i 



little finger of each hand are used to hold the pad close- 
ly against the pipe, thus throwing the bulk of the solder 
to the center of the joint at F, where it belongs. 

By working around and around the pipe the workman 
can readily see any places' where the solder does not ad- 
here to the lead. If a place be found that will not 
coat itself over by the back and forth movement, the 
workman will lay down one of the pads, take the ladle 
again, and work directly upon the non-adhering portion 
of the pipe until it takes coating like the rest of the 
joint. Considerable deftness of touch is required to keep 
the solder from dropping off the bottom of the joint, but 
this is a knack which can be acquired by practice alone. 
A man may be told a thousand times how to do the job, 
but unless he gets' right down to actual practice he will 
never catch the little kinks and tricks which make up the 
wiping of a joint. 

The Joint Wiper Must be an Artist. 

Wiping a pipe joint is an operation which requires con- 
siderable artistic ability on the part of the workman. It is 
impossible when making a wipe joint, to employ only 
bull-headed brute strength. Delicacy of touch is required, 
close observation of the conditions of the pipe and a nice 
sense of proportion are also necessary. A man who lacks in 
any of these qualifications may surely wipe a joint, but a 
bunch here and there, one end heavy and the other light, 
more solder on one side of the joint than the other, will 
certainly be the result. The man v^ho can wipe a good 
joint and have it present a true symmetrical appearance, 
has the same artistic idea of form which enables the 
modeler in clay to work out pleasing and perfect designs. 
The artistic instinct is the same as that which shows itself 
in the work of the man who brings out graceful lines and 
symmetrical forms no matter whether he is cutting a piece 



WIPING JOINTS. 115 

of tin, framing up an intricate design in a galvanized iron 
window" or ventilation work, or painting a picture. 

Finishing a Wipe Joint. 

The workman now puts his artistic talent into action 
and distributes the solder symmetrically around the joint, 
as shown by Fig. 41. A single pad may be used for this 
work, both forefingers being employed to press the pad 
against the ends of the joint and the rest of the fingers 
being used to regulate the pressure along the center of the 



Fig. 41. — Finishing a Wipe Joint. 

pad. By moving the pad in this way, it acts as a scraper 
and pushes before it the bunch of undistributed solder, 
shown at A B. As this solder is worked back and forth 
around the joint it is distributed, as required and gives a 
symmetrical form to the joint. 

If it be found that there is too much solder on the joint, 
a portion of it is removed with the pad, one edge of which 
is formed into a scraper wherewith the superfluous solder 
is cleanly removed from the joint. The entire operation of 
wiping a joint should not take riore than three to five 
minutes after it has been prepared to receive the solder. It 
must be done quickly or the solder will freeze and require 
another application of the hot metal from the ladle. But 
this should be avoided, as a patched joint can never be as 
good as one made by a single, clean operation. 



116 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

Should the beginner fail to get a good joint upon the 
first attempt, he is advised never to try to patch the joint, 
but to apply some hot solder-metal from the ladle and 
melt the solder off the joint until it is clean and in the 
same condition as at the beginning of the operation, then 
try again, with hopes of better success. If too much 
solder has been applied it will squeeze out between A and 
B, Fig. 41 and finally take the appearance of a crest or lip, 
as shown at F, Fig. 40. This is a very annoying condition, 
bu': it results more from inexperience than anything else 
and it may be remedied by continual practice at joint 
wiping. 

When to Quit Wiping a Joint. 

When to quit wiping a joint is a problem which con- 
fronts the beginner. If he does not get the joint done 
quick enough the solder will freeze and the pad will make 
no impression on it. If he tries to shape the solder too 
quickly, before it is cooled to the right temperature, the 
joint will slump and will not stay in place; the lower 
portions may be bulged out or perhaps drop off. Another 
point requiring attention is that if the joint be wiped while 
too cool, the surface will be stringy and full of ridges, 
lines and spots of loose solder. 

Poorly Finished Wipe Joint. 

Sometimes the workman persists in finishing a joint by 
lengthwise strokes of the pad, as shown by Fig. 42. This 
form of finishing is a very poor one and should never be 
tolerated by even an inexperienced joint wiper. It is very 
easy to give lengthwise strokes with the pad, thereby re- 
moving the light crest or edge of solder, which forms 
along the joint, under the pad. The beginner should prac- 
tice on this point until the pad can be removed from the 



WIPING JOINTS. 



117 



joint without leaving a perceptible mark at the point where 
the pad left the solder. Fig. 43 shows the proper form of 
wipe joint finishing. The faintest lines or mark-, may be 
seen at A and B, and these lines mark a point where the 




Fig. 42. — Poor Form of Wipe Joint Finishing. 

pad finally left the joint after the pressure thereupon from 
the fingers had been reduced until the mere weight of the 
pad bore upon the solder. 



A Correctly Finished Wipe Joint. 

The line shown at A and B, on Fig. 43, where the joint 
and the pad part company, is so light as to be almost in- 
distinguishable. On some joints it is almost impossible to 




P^S' 43' — Correct Form of Wipe Joint Finish, 



find the lines in question. To quit a joint, leaving only a 
line of this character, should be the aim of every joint 
wiper, and when he can do this and at the same time leave 
a smooth symmetrical joint which will not leak, then he 
may truly be classed as an extra good joint wiper. It will 
require a good deal of practice to attain this ideal, also, as 
stated, considerable artistic ability. 



118 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

A man may be able to make a good strong wipe joint, 
but which absolutely lacks all beauty of finish. In fact, as 
one plumber stated the matter, "the joint was so blamed 
homely that flies wouldn't roost on it." A man who 
makes a joint of this kind should put in his spare hours of 
practice and in the cultivation of form. A man does not 
want to make wipe joints like unto the ox sled made by 
a farmer, with only an axe and a saw for tools. He made 
the sled all right, and a right good sled it was, too, but it 
looked so homely that the farmer was unable to get the 
oxen hitched to it without backing them on. The tinner 
who aspires to wipe joints should never make them so 
homely that water refuses to run through. 

Some Defects of Wipe Joints. 

The man who is learning to wipe joints must use eternal 
vigilance in order to construct a joint which will stand the 
wear and tear of long service and which will not contain 
one or more of several defects to which wipe joints are 
liable. Two of the most common defects are shown by 
Fig. 44. It will be noticed that a cavity exists at A, at 



Fig, ^^. — Some Defects of Wipe Joints, 

the bottom of the joint. Cavities of this kind usually 
occur at the bottom, but may occur at any portion of the 
joint. Such a cavity is caused by the hot metal being 
wiped quickly from the angle between the two pieces 
of pipe and sufficient care is not exercised to form 



WIPING JOINTS. 119 

a union between the hot solder and the cold pipe. 
The writer has seen joints where defects like that at A 
were found around almost the entire circumference of the 
pipe. The joint wiper was evidently doing contract work 
and working against time at that. He simply gave the 
joint a "lick and a promise" and never tried to do more 
than to give a presentable finish to the outside of the joint. 
In some parts of the country, w^ater corrodes lead pipe 
quite readily, especially when connected with the hot water 
front of a cooking range. Cases like A have been found 
where there was only a thin skin of solder over the joint, 
and when this corroded through there were holes innu- 
merable, where leakage could and did take place. The 
joint wiper should watch very closely when starting a joint 
to see that the solder adheres to every portion of the joint. 



A Leakage Defect. 

Another quite common defect is shown at C. This de- 
fect causes the trouble shown at B and represents an oppo- 
site condition to that which caused the trouble at A, which, 
to a great extent, was owung to solder being applied which 
was too cold, while the trouble at B may have been caused 
by solder which was too hot. It may also have been 
caused by poor fitting between the ends of the pipe at C. 
A combination of both causes may have been present, but, 
be that as it may, the hot solder found a hole at C, and 
the portion which runs down and piles up at B reduces the 
pipe area greatly, and in some instances forms an obstruc- 
tion which will decrease the flow of water to a dangerous 
extent. A way to guard against this defect is to make 
sure that the pipes are fitted together properly and that the 
solder is not too hot. A remedy for the trouble shown at 
A is self evident. It only needs a little care and some 
good workmanship. There is no excuse for either of these 



120 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



defects in joint wiping by an experienced wiper, but the 
beginner must look out for both of them. 

Other Wipe Joint Defects. 

The beginner in joint wiping must be very careful that 
the solder is not too hot, or he may melt a hole right 
through one section of the pipe, or he may even melt out 
the entire joint. There is also danger that the lead pipe 
may be softened by the too hot solder and gradually sink 
down, almost closing the opening in the pipe. The experi- 
enced wiper should detect such an occurrence immediately, 
but the novice, not knowing what to look for, does not ob- 
serve the slight, horizontal spreading of the joint which 
usually accompanies the flattening down of a joint in this 
manner, therefore he may consider the joint to be per- 
fect outside when really the interior of the pipe has been 
closed as effectually as though it contained a plug valve 
or a stop cock. 

When a flatted joint of this kind is cut in two, it much 
resembles in appearance a piece of stovepipe which has 
been run over by an automobile. The wiper should watch 
for any external distortion or the pipe when applying 
solder. The margin of safety between the melting point 
of solder and that of the pipe is such a few degrees to be- 
gin with, and if solder be heated hotter than will barely 
char a white pine stick, then there is danger that the pipe 
may be softened and cave in or that a leak will develop 
which will fill the interior of the pipe with solder, as shown 
by Fig. 44. On the other hand, the wiper must avoid 
solder which is too cold, as he is liable to have "cold 
shuts," as shown at A, which latter is almost sure to de- 
velop into an aggravating or a dangerous leak. 



n 



WIPING JOINTS. 121 



Wipe Joint Precautions. 

In addition to avoiding the defects noted in the preced- 
ing paragraphs, the workman who is to make a wipe joint 
should observe several other precautions. The first is to 
see that the work is dry. Moisture in or on the pipe is 
very apt to cause trouble, if it be contained inside of the 
joint where it will come into contact with hot solder. A 
portion of water is liable to be turned suddenly into steam 
and to throw the hot solder viciously in every direction. 
Severe burns are frequently caused by contact between hot 
solder and water in this manner. 

If there is the least suspicion that water is present, pour 
a little gasoline on the joint and set it afire. It will quickly 
burn out, and the heat thus generated will drive off any 
water which may be present. When drying the pipe with 
gasoline, care should be taken that much of the fluid does 
not run inside of the pipe. If this be permitted when the 
gasoline is ignited, there may be a small explosion, which 
will be uncomfortable, if not dangerous. Such an explo- 
sion may tumble down the joint which had been assembled 
ready for wiping, therefore take great care of this gasoline 
moisture. 

Hold the Work Solid. 

It is the usual custom of the joint wiper to place the 
pipes together in the position they are to occupy when 
soldered and hold them by piling a few bricks on top, as 
shown by Fig. 2>7' This answers very well in certain cases, 
but where short pieces of pipe are to be handled, there is 
nothing which will hold them in position so well as a 
couple of "C" clamps. These handy little tools are made 
of cast or malleable iron and present an appearance some- 
thing like that shown by Fig. 45. 



122 



SOLDERING AND BEAZING. 



Two or more of these clamps applied to a couple of 
pieces of pipe will hold them securely. A small wooden 
frame may be used for attaching the pipe and the clamps 
to, or an empty soap box with a hole cut in one side will 
answer the same purpose. The man who has once used 
clamps of this kind in wiping joints will not return to the 
brick method when he can get hold of the clamps. 

While water may not do any damage, when present in a 
joint, it can never do any good,, and invariably will delay 




Pk' 45'— 'C'' Clamp. 

the soldering operation, because heat enough must be ap- 
plied to dissipate the water in the form of steam or vapor 
before the soldering can proceed. Sometimes, instead of 
throwing the solder about, water will simply cause the 
joint to sputter and snap and then dry out, permitting the 
soldering operation to proceed. It causes just so much 
delay, this burning out of the water, and, as stated, is a 
source of danger, which may at any time develop into a 
serious accident. Therefore, always be sure that no water 
is present in the joint. 



WIPING JOINTS. 123 



Test Pipe to be Wipe Jointed. 

It may happen that pipe is placed upon the market 
which has a melting point lower than that of pure lead. 
It is well for the beginner to test out pipe by cutting off 
a small section of the pipe and immerse it in a pot of 
melted solder, at the temperature which it is intended to 
use in wipe jointing. If the pipe has too low a melting 
point it will be fused by the melted solder, and while 
the expert will be able to wipe a low fusing pipe with a 
higher fusing solder, it is a delicate operation, which may 
prove troublesome to the novice. To be sure, the con- 
ditions are somewhat different in the test than they are 
in actual practice, as in the test the pipe is immersed in 
the melted solder, while in actual practice the hot solder 
is poured upon the pipe; therefore there is more danger 
of melting the pipe when immersed than when the solder 
is poured upon the pipe. 

Still the test of pipe is to be depended upon, for the 
reason that if it will not melt in the solder pot it sure- 
ly cannot melt when solder is poured upon it. It may 
be added that the solder during this test should be care- 
fully tested with a clean pine stick, and it should not be 
heated hot enough to char the surface of this stick. 
Should the solder prove to have too high a melting point 
the workman must add more tin to the solder; if he 
has some "fine" solder this will answer, otherwise he 
may melt in "half and half," but it will require more of 
the "half and half" to reduce the melting point of a pot 
of solder than it will if "twa and one" be used. 

Flux for Wipe Jointing. 

As stated, tallow is the proper flux for lead to be wipe 
jointed. The mechanic should take care to obtain a 



124 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

good tallow, for this substance is often adulterated with 
cottonseed oil or fish oil, and then does not give good 
results as a flux for lead. The best way to obtain good 
tallow is to buy a piece of suet from the butcher, put it 
in a porcelain lined kettle with a tight fitting cover, and 
place in a kettle of water, where it will be kept hot, for 
several hours. If there is a steam boiler in the shop, 
just set the tallow kettle on top of it, and melted tallow 
will always be ready for use when needed. Usually a 
place for the tallow kettle can be found around the stove 
which heats the shop, or it can be attached to a steam 
radiator; only take care that it does not get afire and 
that all dirt is excluded. 

If dirty tallow must be used for pipe wiping flux, the 
tallow should be strained through several thicknesses of 
cheese cloth or some other thin fabric to remove the 
dirt. Do not use resin on the pipe when wipe jointing, 
although it is well to place some resin in the pot where 
the solder is melted. A little shop dirt — that is, seep- 
ings from the floor, with a little powdered resin mixed 
with it, may be kept on top of the melting pot, and will 
prevent oxidizing of the solder. It is necessary, how- 
ever, when using the solder, that the coat of dirt be 
removed, or at least that it be poked back to one side 
of the pot, so that clean solder may be dipped out with 
the ladle. 



Care of Wiping Pads. 

Some precautions should be taken with the pads used in 
wiping joints. They are preferably made of bed tick- 
ing, although any thick, heavy cloth may be used and a 
form of asbestos pad used in the household for holding 
laundry irons, may be used to advantage. These pads 
may be purchased for five or ten cents at almost any 
store, particularly at the so called five and ten cent stores. 



I 



WIPING JOINTS. 125 

These pads should be well tallowed, outside at least, be- 
fore they are used for wiping joints. Take care, too, 
that they are thrown away before they become too thin, 
ae hot solder has a nasty way of getting uncomfortably 
close to the fingers when it is used with a thin pad. 

Ornamenting Wipe Joints. 

In Figs. 38 to 44 the pipe is shown with a section of 
black attached to each wipe joint. The man who is wip- 
ing joints usually chooses to ornament (?) the pipe with 
a more or less elaborate design, worked in black at each 
end of the joint. Personally, the writer does not regard 
this practice as adding to the appearance of the pipe. It 
seems to disfigure more than to ornament, but it forms 
a handy method of stopping the solder. The job would, 
according to the writer's fancy, look better if the black 
were removed with a little benzine after the joint has 
been completed. If desired, the use of lamp black for 
this purpose may be avoided; many joint wapers do not 
use black at all. They simply wrap a piece of newspaper 
around the pipe, as shown by Fig. 33, and the paper 
marks the end of the wiped portion of the joint and pre- 
vents solder from adhering to the pipe, thus protected by 
the paper. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

SOLDERING WITH ELECTRICALLY 
HEATED TOOLS. 

A form of soldering, which has come largely into use in 
late years, is known as the electrical method and the elec- 
tric soldering tool has come to stay. Several varieties of 
the electric soldering copper are on the market. One very 
common form is shown by Fig. 46. In appearance the tool 



Fig. 46. — Electric Soldering Tool, 

very much resembles the ordinary form of copper except 
that the handle or shank is greatly enlarged, as shown at 
A. In ordinary types of electric soldering coppers, the bit 
B has been cut down in size for the reason that there is 
no use for a mass of copper to retain heat. One of the 
uses of the ordinary soldering copper is to convey and 
impart heat to the object to be soldered, therefore it is 
necessary that considerable heat be stored in the tool, 
hence for heavy work, a bulky copper is necessary. 

Electric Method of Heating a Soldering Tool. 

In the electrically heated tool, there is no necessity for a 
large amount of heat storing metal, for the heat is applied 

126 



ELECTRIC SOLDERING. 127 

continually by means of an electric current and can be 
imparted to the bit as fast as it is drawn therefrom by the 
actual soldering operation. The usual method of applying 
electric heat to the soldering tool is by means of a coil or 
loop of some substance which offers great resistance to 
the electric current. An alloy of iron is used for this pur- 
pose in many coppers and is wound in a small spiral upon 
a non-conducting center of asbestos, clay or similar sub- 
stance, the resistance wires being wound in a shallow 
groove or thread on the outside of the central core, the 
groove or thread serving to keep each turn of the wire 
from touching its neighbor, thereby forcing the electric 
current to pass around and around, through every turn of 
the wire in the tool. 

Should a coil become disarranged so that the coils touch 
each other, the current will pass from one coil to another 
direct and the result may be, aside from the loss of heat 
and .power, the burning out of the fuses in the conducting 
wire and even the w^res may be damaged or destroyed by 
the excess of current. Some coppers do not use a coil of 
wire but the resistance wire is made in the form of a loop 
somewhat similar to, but much smaller than the film in an 
ordinary incandescent lamp. The comparatively large size 
of the shank A is for the purpose of containing the re- 
sistance coil or loop, the handle being large enough that 
the coil may pass through it, wholly or partially into the 
bit B. 

One Cause of Trouble. 

One cause of trouble in the electric soldering tool is due 
to the fact that metal expands greatly when heated and 
the higher the degree of temperature, the greater the 
amount of expansion. The coils wound around the core 
of a soldering copper increase in diameter as heating 
proceeds and the wire may be thrown out of the groove 



128 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

in which it is wound by a sudden , shock like that caused 
by the tool falling on the ' floor or its being used as a 
hammer. Hence the need of great care in handling the tools 
and also of a strict injunction against their being used for 
any purpose except that of actual soldering. These tools 
should be handled as carefully as though they were made 
of glass. More tools go wrong, are damaged or even 
destroyed, by careless handling, than by the actual work 
of soldering. 



Current for Electric Soldering Tools. 

Electric soldering tools must be purchased for the cur- 
rent which is to be used in them. A copper wound for 
one form of current may not work satisfactorily with an- 
other form. These coppers may be constructed to be used 
upon a direct current of 500 volts, and such a tool would 
not work when attached to a current of 100 volts, but no 
harm would be done to the tool by thus attaching it. On 
the other hand, a soldering tool made to be used on a 
100 volt current, would be burned out almost instantly 
were it attached to a 500 volt circuit unless suitable re- 
sistance had first been placed in series with the electric 
soldering tool. 

Resistance in Series. 

By the term "in series" it is understood that a suitable 
resistance, say an incandescent lamp, be connected so that 
the current passes through both the lamp and soldering 
tool, one after the other. When connected in multiples or 
in parallels, which means the same thing, both the tool and 
the lamp should be connected to the conducting wires like 
the rungs of a ladder, so that the current can get through 
both lamp and tool at the same time. The series con- 



ELECTRIC SOLDERING. 129 

struction is absolutely necessary with electric soldering 
tools, as the same current which goes through the lamp 
must also go through the tool. 

Resistance for Low Voltage Soldering Tools. 

A long coil of wire may be arranged as a resistance 
whereby a low voltage soldering tool can be used on high 
voltage circuits. In case of necessity, when a low voltage 
tool must be used on a high voltage circuit, and no suitable 
resistance is at hand, a water rheostat may be quickly 
rigged up by the use of two carbons or pieces of metal in 
the following manner. Cut the conducting wire and attach 
one of these carbons or electrodes, as they should be 
termed, to each cut end of the wire. Immerse the elec- 
trodes in the vessel of water and adjust them close 
together or farther apart, as may be found necessary to 
give the quantity of current required by the soldering tool. 
Considerable heat will be evolved in the water rheostat, 
but it is not a very economical appliance as a good deal of 
energy is w^asted. In fact, all the. heat evolved is caused 
by wasted power, but the water rheostat will enable a low 
voltage soldering tool to be used on a high voltage circuit. 

A Common Form of Electric Soldering Tool. 

A common form of electric soldering tool as shown in 
Fig. 46 is from 10 to 18 inches in length and fitted with a 
hollow, wooden handle, through which a piece of flexible 
cord is run, connecting with wires or small screws, in the 
metal handle. This section of the handle is shown at A 
and its use is to contain the heat generating portion of the 
circuit, as described in the preceding paragraphs. Some- 
times soldering tools are made with two wires projecting 
from the wooden handle; again, both wires are inclosed in 
a knitted or woven fabric similar to that used on telephone 



130 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

cords. This form is the most desirable, as it leaves only 
one wire to take care of during the handling and using 
operations. 

Connections for Electric Soldering Tools. 

The free ends of the insulated wires are attached to a 
plug, which may be connected to an ordinary incandescent 
lamp socket, in the usual manner and the current turned 
on by turning a switch in the socket, exactly as though an 
incandescent lamp were being switched on. A form of 
socket very desirable for soldering coppers, which may be 
used in connection with the ordinary screw socket, is what 
is known as the slip plug socket. This is so constructed 
that in case of a pull of a few pounds upon the wires (the 
twisted pair, as they are called), the slip plug will come 
out of its socket and no damage will be done to either the 
tool, the wires or the lamp socket to which the tool has 
been connected. 

Time Required for Heating Electric Coppers. 

After turning on the current, not more than ten minutes 
should elapse before the copper is hot enough for soldering 
and the tool remains thus indefinitely, if the circuit is not 
broken and the tool is not used for heavy work, beyond its 
capacit}'. In case the copper suddenly cools, examine the 
socket to see that it is in working order and that the plug 
has not been accidentally loosened. If these fixtures are 
all right and the copper is not badly in need of re-tinning, 
then look for the trouble on the inside of the handle. Upon 
disconnecting it, it will probably be found that one of the 
wires in the flexible cord has become broken or detached. 
All that is necessary to be done, in that case, is to cut off 
a piece of the flexible cord, or twisted pair and connect up^ 
the ends again. 



ELECTRIC SOLDERING. 131 



Trouble in the Winding. 

But perhaps the trouble may be more serious, as in the 
winding inside of the metal handle ; in that case, the man 
who is using it should, by all means, send the tool to the 
electrical hospital and have the doctor look after its ''in- 
nards." If the man who is using the tool chances to be 
an expert electrician, then he may safely delve in the 
hidden portion of the copper, but if not, he should no more 
try to fix an electric soldering copper than he should try to 
fix a watch. Any attempt to do so, in either case, by an 
inexperienced man, is apt to lead to further trouble and 
expense. 

When soldering with an electrical soldering tool make 
sure of one which can be operated ten hours per day. Not 
every electric tool possesses a ten hour working efficiency. 
Each electrical tool should be built to maintain what is 
known as "critical temperature." This is essential to high 
grade soldering and it can, and should be, maintained at 
all times. 

Care of Electric Soldering Tools. 

The man who has been accustomed to throwing a two 
pound block of copper into a fire pot has a good deal to 
learn before he can use electric soldering tools to 
advantage. 

Not only is there a lack of information regarding such 
tools, but there is much misinformation and prejudice re- 
garding the range of usefulness and limitations of electric 
soldering tools. 

With the furnace heated coppers it is possible to get a 
very high temperature and by having a much larger mass 
of copper apparently get a more effective tool on the work 
than is the case with the electric, owing to the fact that the 



132 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

maximum temperature of the copper is easily made greater 
than the electric tool can reach. 

Speed of Electric Soldering Tools. 

The mechanic is used to having quicker action in melting 
solder when applied to the work than follows with the 
electric tool. At first the workman will become impatient 
because it is slower when applied and cannot be run as 
rapidly as the big heavy, high heated copper for a short 
time, consequently he condemns the electric. This is 
almost invariably the case in a tin shop if the mechanic be 
left to reach his own conclusions and be governed by his 
own determination. On the other hand where the electrics 
are put into a shop, their forces explained and the man 
required to use them and no other, he will in the course of 
time learn their characteristics and prefer the tool in most 
cases. 

Sure and Quick Heating or Slow, Steady and 
Continuous. 

The furnace heated copper after it is prepared and ready 
for the work — very hot — is a satisfactory tool for a short 
period. The time required, however, to care for the 
furnace, to dress the copper, to tin it and clean it and to 
wait for its reheating or the time spent in retinning the 
overheated copper, calls for far more of a man's time to 
accomplish a certain result than is required with the clean 
electric copper, which does not become overheated and 
burn off the tin, but which cannot be crowded or forced 
for short intervals as can the furnace heated copper. With 
the electric tool the man must go a bit slower, but he goes 
quite steadily and, as explained, when the man has learned 
his job the electric tool satisfies him far better than the 
old style furnace heated copper. 



ELECTRIC SOLDERING. 133 



Overcoming Prejudice against the Electric 
Soldering Tool. 

It requires time and favorable conditions in the shop in 
the way of proper attitude of mind, because a mechanic 
who for years has used a pecuHar kind of tool will be a 
very long* time in giving up his prejudice in its favor for 
something that is different, no matter how much better it 
may be, even though not better in every respect. The 
writer has had several well pronounced cases of this kind. 
In a certain shop where electric coppers only are used, the 
foreman was several months in coming around to the 
opinion that he preferred that kind of tool but he will not 
willingly go back to the old copper and fire pot. Every 
man who comes into this shop has to be given an appre- 
ciable time before he will admit that the electric tool is 
desirable, but in the end, having from necessity used the 
electric copper for a considerable period and realizing that 
he cannot turn to some other tool, then the change of 
opinion is complete. The electric copper is taken for what 
it is worth and not one man of them would go back to the 
old style tool. 

Delicacy of Electric Soldering Tools. 

Some manufacturers, after they have tried these coppers, 
present another phase of the matter. The complaint is 
made that the tools are delicate and not substantial. 
Really, this is not the fault of the tools, but of the use to 
which they are subjected. As intimated in the preceding 
paragraphs, the furnace heated soldering tool is a lump 
of copper which may be thrown about without care, used 
as a hammer on occasion and otherwise subjected to rough 
treatment. The electric copper, while not being tender, 



134 SOLDERING AND BEAZING. 

may not be used as a hammer and should not be thrown 
across the room or upon a bench from a distance. The 
electric tool can be handled on a bench much the same as 
any other ordinary bench tool and handled without more 
care and without danger of injury, but the electric copper 
should not be misused. 

Bear in mind that of the two instruments one is a crude 
rough affair suitable for use by brute strength and similar 
intelligence, while the electric tool is a high grade creation 
and when handled accordingly will give results which 
never can be reached by the old fashioned soldering 
copper. 

Injury of Electric Soldering Tools by Acid. 

One point which should be well looked after in handling 
electric soldering coppers is that of preventing their injury 
from acid and acid fumes. Soldering solutions contain 
more or less corrosive substances and as corrosion is more 
active when metals are at a high temperature than when 
they are cold, it will be seen that heated soldering tools 
are especially susceptible to corrosion from the acid above 
mentioned. Therefore care must be taken to prevent the 
acid from reaching the heater and the shell covering the 
heater of the tool should always be protected and by no 
means should any acid be permitted to reach the joint be- 
tween the shell of the tool and the heater flange. 

Not only should acid be kept away from the electric 
tool but the fumes of the acid should be eliminated. Nine 
mechanics out of ten will dash the hot copper into a cup of 
hydrochloric acid and they care not whether the acid has 
been ''killed" or is "raw." The cloud of vapor which 
arises when the copper is plunged into the acid means 
speedy destruction to the electric soldering copper. Even 
if not put completely out of business the tool will be in 
bad shape after two or three months of such treatment. 



ELECTEIC SOLDERING. - 135 



Electric Tools Should Not be Dipped in Acid. 

Even when care is used in dipping the copper, more or 
less acid will cling to the tool and the vapor penetrates the 
joints and finds its way into the electric wiring, where a 
low red heat is being continuously maintained, the parts 
are still more susceptible to the effects of acid fumes. Even 
when the copper is lying upon the bench, if dipped fre- 
quently in acid while being continually hot, both the tip 
and the shell will pit and corrode and the acid will find its 
way into* the interior of the tool and attack the heater. It 
is totally unnecessary to dip the electric soldering copper 
into acid. Under every circumstance which may arise i-.i 
the shop this action is unnecessary. It should and must be 
prohibited. 



Stands for Electric Soldering Tools. 

Even when continually in use a copper must be laid 
down at frequent intervals and sometimes it remains tem- 
porarily out of use for several minutes at a time. A sup- 
port should be provided whereby the electric tool may be 
laid clear of the bench and where it will not be injured by 
throwing other tools upon it and where it will at all times 
be ready for the hand. Neat little stands are provided by 
the manufacturer of electric soldering copper. Some of 
these stands are arranged so that when the copper is laid 
on them they automatically cut in series with the copper, a 
considerable resistance which is contained within the 
stand. This reduces the flow of the current to the copper, 
thereby reducing the cost of operation. The tool not be- 
ing in use can, of course, be kept hot with less current 
than when it is working. 



136 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

Good Form of Tool Stand. 

A very good form of stand consists of a slate base pro- 
vided with yokes or sockets of cast iron. Some users of 
electric coppers make a mistake in providing a sort of bed 
or nest made of asbestos into which the copper is thrust 
when not in use. This is a very bad practice indeed. Such 
devices are very injurious because they act as a jacket 
around the heater and cause the temperature to run up to 
an undesirable point, even high enough to injure the re- 
sistance wire which means the copper and in some cases 
to decompose the mica by which the heater is insulated 
from the body of the tool. 

Temperature of Electric Soldering Tools. 

It should be kept in mind that the heater of an electric 
soldering copper is maintained at a low red while the 
tool is in use therefore by preventing radiation of heat by 
surrounding the tool with asbestos or other nonconducting 
material, the temperature of the heater is raised to a point 
which might seriously damage if not completely destroy 
the coil which keeps the tool hot. 

Selection of Electric Soldering Tools. 

A workman who has never used an electric tool will be 
at a loss to decide what size is best suited to his work. 
Each manufacturer puts out from three to a dozen sizes 
and shapes and gives an idea of the service to be ex- 
pected from each. The tables herewith presented give 
the size, weights and rating of tools supplied by three 
prominent makers. The first four or five columns of these 
tables are self explanatory. The last column gives the 
weight in pounds of a tool which will be displaced by the 



ELECTRIC SOLDERING. 137 

electric tool, the description of which is given in the 
same horizontal line. 

It should be also kept in mind that the electric tool will 
displace two ordinary coppers instead of one. Therefore 
a tool which weighs 27 ounces actually displaces two cop- 
pers of I pound each, or 2 pounds in all. Likewise a big 
electric copper weighing 100 ounces will displace 8 pounds 
of copper. 

'' Q. E." Electric Soldering Tools. 

with permanently attached plug or handle guard ring. 



Diam. 


of 








We 


;ight in lbs. 


tip in 


Weight 


in ounces. 






of 


equivalent 


inches, 


. Tip. 


Complete. 


Watts. 


Volts. 
95-105 


solder: 


ing copper. 


V2 


2 


25 


75 


106-II5 
I16-125 




I lb. 


Va 


8 


28 


100 


I16-125 




\y2 lbs. 


I 


16 


2>Z 


150 


116-125 




2 lbs. 


i^ 


32 


^V2 


200 


I16-125 




3 lbs. 


I'A 


48 


54 


VS 


I16-125 




4 lbs. 



The above described line of tools is the latest to be put 
upon the market. Other makes of electric tools have been 
on the market for several years, but the *'G. E." Company 
did not go into the field until they were absolutely sure 
that their tools were capable of doing everything claimed 
for them. 

Cartridge Type of Tool Heaters. 

The heating end of these tools is of the cartridge type, 
and to secure the most effective location it is placed right 
in the tip, which also is easily renewable. 

A peculiarity of these tools is the open wire handle illus- 



138 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

trated by Fig. 47, which can never get hot, as the construc- 
tion is such that the heat is dissipated as fast as it is 
transmitted into the handle. 

The manufacturers of this tool claim that the big advan- 
tage possessed by it is due to the use of calorite for the 
manufacture of the resistance or heating coil. It is also 
claimed that this substance has a very high specific resist- 
ance and that it is extremely unoxidizabie under high tem- 
perature. 



Fig, 4/, — ''G. E:' Electric Soldering Tool. 

Another advantage possessed by these tools is that the 
calorite wire is wound in a single layer upon the lava core. 
Many tools have two coils of heating wire, but the "G. E." 
has only one, and this is insulated in a German silver 
cartridge shell with a paper thin mica insulation in the 
same manner as the standard cartridge unit. The complete 
unit sHps very closely into a hole bored in the tube, which 
entirely surrounds the cartridge. 

Life of '' Q. E." Soldering Tools. 

As stated elsewhere, the particular tender spot of elec- 
tric soldering tools is their inability to overheat while not 
in use if kept turned on. Of course when the tool is in 
use the heat is carried away by the act of soldering as fast 
as generated, but when the tool is left on the stand for a 
considerable length, of time, with the current turned on in 
full, there is apt to be serious overheating, and perhaps 
damage to the insulation or heating unit unless special 
means' are provided to take care of the excess heat. 



ELECTEIC SOLDEEING. 139 

It is claimed that the calorite wire is so little affected by 
oxidation that it will permit the tool to run for several 
thousand hours, doing no soldering whatever, being con- 
stantl}^ connected. 

Tests of the life of a tool running dry, so to speak, i. e., 
doing no soldering work, have been made by the "G. E." 
Company to determine the actual life, and they have found 
that tools run constantly for over 8,000 hours are not af- 
fected in the least and are as good at the end of the 
test as when the tool was new. This is equivalent to at 
least two and a half years at ten hours a day. 

Vulcan Soldering Tools. 

From the table herewith given and data pertaining to the 
Vulcan tools, it will be noted that while the ^ in. "G. E." 
tool weighs 27 ozs. and requires 75 watts to displace a i 
lb. copper, the Vulcan ^2 in. tool, weighing only 12 ozs. 
requires but 70 watts. This tool, however, will displace 
only J4 it), of ordinary copper tool. 

VULCAN SOLDERING TOOL. 



Diam. of 
tip in 
inches. 


Weight in 
ounces. 


Watts. 


Weight in lbs. 

of equivalent 

Volts. soldering copper. 


V2 


12 


70 


104,110,115,120 54 

200, 220 or 230 


% 


t8 


150 


do. do. 1Y2 


1% 


29 


250 


do. do 2>^ 


W% 


26 


350 


do. do. 3 


% 


16 


120 


do. do. I 


7/16 


9 


55 


do. do. ^ 


'A 


9 


60 


do. do. J4 



The general appearance of the Vulcan tool is shown by 
Fig. 48 and it will be noted that the handle is separated a 
considerable distance from the soldering tip by means of a 
wasp-like body connection of considerable length. 



140 SOLDEEING AND BRAZING. 

The Vulcar* people give some excellent advice about the 
care of soldering tools. They advise : 

1. That the tip be screwed in tight and kept tight as 
the tool will thus heat better. They also state that the tips 
should be filed to point them. They should never be 
hammered, as hammering spoils the threads. 

2. Acid or sal ammoniac solution destroys copper and 
they note that as electric tools have no soda or grease they 
do not need strong solutions. 

3. In removing the tip never grab the heating head or 
stem with a vise wrench, pliers, or other instrument. 




Fig. 48. — Vulcan Electric Soldering Tool, 

The shell will surely be crushed and the threads be de- 
stroyed by such action. 

They also avoid the use of a hammer upon the shell or 
stem. 



Unscrewing Soldering Tool Tips. 

Their simple directions for unscrewing the tip is to tap 
it sharply on all sides with the hammer, while holding the 
heating head with the hand, then put the tip in the vise 
and unscrew the heating head with the hand. Never use 
anything besides the hand for this purpose. If the heating 
head sticks keep on tapping the head as above directed 
until it does' unscrew. 

They state furthermore : Never to use grease in the 
shell or case, also keep both of these parts free from acid, 



ELECTRIC SOLDERING. 



141 



Simplex Electric Soldering Tools. 

This tool is shown herewith by Fig. 49 and the data is 
given in the following paragraphs in the form of the usual 
tables. 




Fig, 4p. — Simplex Electric Soldering Tools. 

This tool needs very little description as the engraving 
enables the observer to see exactly how it looks and the 
table gives the necessary data. 

SIMPLEX SOLDERING TOOLS. 



Diameter. 

'A" 


Weight in 
ounces. 

13 


Watts. 

95 to 220 


Volts. 

75 


Weight 

of copper 

displaced. 

54 lbs 


Vs" 


18 


'( 


75 


I 


i" 


25 


(C 


100 


I^ 


114" 


26 


(( 


220 


2 


i^" 


28 


'' 


275 


3 


134" 


35 


(C 


350 


4 


3" 


102 


a 


450 


6 



Selecting Soldering Tools. 

The following paragraphs give some idea of the use to 
which these tools may be applied and will enable the be- 
ginner in their use, to select just the one he needs. 

The following list of tool numbers and watts required 
will be referred to in the paragraphs immediately follow- 
ing- 



142 SOLDERING aND BEAZING. 



SELECTION OF TOOLS. 

No. Watts. 

I ' , 55 

2 6o 

3 70 

4 150 

5 120 

6 250 

7 350 

The No. I tool is used for extremely light soldering, 
very light telephone multiple switch board repairs, elec- 
trical instruments, smallest fuses and in fact for the light- 
est of all light work. 

No. 2 is used on bench and open work where a very 
light wire tip is wanted. It is especially adapted for the 
telephone or linemen's tool kit. 

No. 3 is for the ordinary telephone switch boards, for 
electric instrument work and for very light manufacturing 
fuses. 

No. 4 is used for fast repair telephone work, for light 
tinware and for automobile work. This tool is also suit- 
able for general home use and when an electric soldering 
tool is to be; added to the family tool kit this particular 
tool should be selected. 

No. 5 is almost similar to No. 4. This tool is recom- 
mended where shortness is important. 

No. 6 should be used for ordinary tin shop work, gen- 
eral manufacturing, medium tin metal patterns and auto- 
mobiles. 

No. 7 is the tool to select for very heavy tinware and 
sheet steel and galvanized iron work. Metal boat making 
requires this tool and it is also necessary on refrigerator 
work. 



ELECTRIC SOLDERING. 143 



Electric Branding Appliances. 

It may be interesting for the mechanic to know that 
any of the electric soldering tools may be transformed into 
first class branding tools by simply unscrewing the tip and 
replacing same with a brand made to suit requirements. 
This is a great convenience in certain kinds of work as the 
tips and brands are readily and quickly interchangeable. 



Care of Electric Soldering Tools, 

The writer desires to emphasize and reiterate the neces- 
sity for great care in using and handling electric soldering 
tools. Like a watch, the higher the grade of tool the 
greater the care necessary and this applies to electric 
soldering tools above all other appliances. Also many of 
these tools are made with air tight binding chambers to 
protect them from destructive flux fumes. As stated else- 
where they are damaged or destroyed by the persistent use 
of strong acids and strong solutions, therefore care for 
the electric soldering tool as you would care for a high 
grade watch and no trouble will be found in their con- 
tinual use. 



CHAPTER IX. 
BRAZING. 

The term brazing, as generally understood, means join- 
ing together of two pieces of iron, steel, or other metal 
by means of a film of soft brass. Anybody may, with pro- 
priety, use the term brazmg to indicate the soldering of 
two or more pieces with an alloy of copper and zinc, but 
as soldering is commonly understood as joining metals by 
an alloy of tin and lead, it is better to leave out this defi- 
nition and use the term brazing instead. 

Brazing and hard soldering are almost identical in effect 
as well as in operation, except that in the former brass 
is used as the union metal while in the latter silver or 
an alloy of that metal is used as the uniting medium. 

There are a great many metals which when melted and 
brought in contact with other heated but unmelted metals 
will unite themselves thereto and form a one-sided species 
of welding in which the union to all intents and purposes 
is as complete as when both metals are melted together 
or welded. 

Methods. 

There arc several methods commonly employed for braz- 
ing and the one which should be selected depends upon 
the conditions and requirements of the work in hand. 

The most common method may be called brazing by 
radiant heat, in which the parts to be united are fastened 

144 



i 



BRAZING. 145 

together by means oi wire rivets and then held in a very 
intense heat until the spelter or brass melts and runs 
between the pieces to be joined. 

Brazing by Conducted Heat. 

Brazing by conducted heat is another method by which 
the articles to be united are fastened together outside by 
brackets and evenly united and speltered, then they are 
clamped together with a pair of red hot tongs which melts 
the spelter and it flows into the joint and unites the metals 
more or less completely according to the skill of the oper- 
ator. 

Brazing by Immersion. 

Brazing by immersion is another method by which the 
parts, when thoroughly cleaned and securely fastened to- 
gether, are plunged into a vessel containing melted spelter 
or brass and held therein until sufficiently heated so that 
the brass unites the parts to be joined. 

Brazing by Electricity. 

The electric method of brazing is another but slightly 
employed method. The articles are prepared much the 
same as for electric welding, but instead of \ eing pressed 
together as they become heated they are merely clamped 
and a current applied until the spelter melts and flows 
into the joint. This method is, perhaps, the handiest and 
neatest of all ways of brazing, but as yet it has not come 
into general use. 

Brazing or Hard Soldering? 

There is very little difference between brazing and hard 
soldering except that brass instead of silver is used in 
the former operation. 



146 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



Various Methods of Heating for Brazing. 

The heating may be done for brazing by the blow torch, 
as illustrated by Fig. 9 of this series, or the blow 
pipe may be used, an instrument which is shown by Fig. 
II. Even the blow torch furnace, illustrated by Fig. 10, 
may be used to advantage in brazing; and the blow pipe 
used in connection with the pliers and a piece of rosin, 
as shown by Fig. 13 and Fig. 14, may also be used to 
excellent advantage. 

The air gas blow pipe, Fig. 15, and the gasoline blow 
pipe arrangement, Fig. 16, may also be relied upon to do 
a great deal of heavy work. 

By building up around the work with charcoal or wood 
chips and blocks a very large area may be heated and a 
bigger job may be done with these tools than the man 
unacquainted with this work can have any idea of. 



Materials for Brazing. 

" There are innumerable alloys used for brazing but three 
or four will be enough for any ordinary work. It is 
usual to purchase spelter already prepared for brazing. 
It is in the form of a crushed or granulated powder and 
in this condition is easily mixed with pulverized borax. 
If the mixture be wet slightly, barely moistened, it may 
be easily placed upon the joint to be brazed by means of 
a small brush or bit of stick. 

Perhaps the brazing mechanic had best prepare four 
alloys, two hard and two soft, which we will call hardest, 
hard, soft and softest. 



BRAZING. 147 



Alloys for Brazing. 

Alloys. Tin. Copper. Zinc. Antimony. 

Hardest o 6 2 o 

Hard 0220 

Soft 2 8 6 o 

Softest 4 o © > 

In a number of test books a metal is given for brazing 
as follows : Zinc, i part ; fine brass, i part. In making an 
alloy of this kind it is understood that the copper in the 
brass receives still another proportion of zinc which lowers 
the melting point and therefore makes the alloy much 
softer. 

Fluxes for Brazing. 

Borax and boracic acid are the two principal fluxes used 
for this purpose. Some mechanics prefer one, some the 
other, and some men mix the two together in varying pro- 
portions. The writer has the opinion that it makes very 
little difference which one is used; he uses either one and 
can see no difference in the results obtained with either. 



Applying Borax and Spelter. 

The old style brazer used to dust a lot of borax upon 
the work, then place the piece of brass upon the borax 
and watch the fusing of the borax, which invariably pushed 
the brass off of the work. The writer has seen an old 
timer of this kind replace the brass three or four times 
upon the join. Each time he replaced it he would dust 
on some more borax. This is unnecessary; sifting on 
borax once or twice is usually enough for a single job. 
It is only required th^t the borax diffuse itself over the 



148 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

join to be brazed to prevent access of the atmosphere to 
the heated metal. As long as the thinnest film of the borax 
remains on the work there is no need of applying more 
flux. 



Wet or Dry Fluxes. 

The question as to whether to use borax powdered, pul- 
verized, wet or dry has never been satisfactorily settled 
or at least mechanics have not agreed upon any one meth- 
od as being better than all others. The finer the borax 
is pulverized the less apt it is to ''boil" when losing its 
water and crystalize, fcr this is what happens when the 
pieces of borax start up and turn themselves inside out 
before melting and becoming diffused over the metal to 
be brazed. Finely divided borax melts much quicker than 
lumps, therefore the disturbance is less great and less 
likely to upset the brass or spelter and push it out of place. 

Brazing by immersion, as briefly described on page 124, 
is effected by wiring firmly together the articles to be - 
brazed and then thrusting them into a body of melted I 
spelter, after treatment with the proper flux of course, and 
holding them beneath the surface of the metal until the 
articles have been heated to the proper degree of tem- 
perature. 

Upon removal from the bath the surplus spelter will 
readily fall away or may be taken off, leaving the articles 
perfectly brazed together. Fig. 50 shows a tank for braz- 
ing by immersion. 

An immersion tank is usually of cast iron shaped some- 
what as shown by Fig. 50, but it may be made square 
instead of triangular if desired. The object of making 
the triangular vessel for containing the melted spelter is 
merely for giving sufficient depth and width of immersion 
space with the smallest possible body of metal. This end 



BEAZING. 



149 



is obtained with a vessel shaped as shown by Fig. 50. 
There is no objection to using a vessel with a round cast 
iron bottom if so desired and for some work such a 
shaped vessel might be necessary. 




Fig. jo. — Tank for Brazing by Immersion, 



Preparing Work for Immersion Brazing. 

Fig. 51 shows an example of fitting up two pipes for 
brazing by immersion. Pipe A is to become a branch of 
pipe B. A hole is made in pipe B and pipe A is fitted 
as perfectly as possible against B and it is better if there 
is no perceptible opening between the pipes at the point 
of junction. Once they are fitted together they are wired 
tightly in position, the wire C being passed around be- 
neath the pipes and twisted firmly together at D. Previous 
to this the metal has been for some distance brightened 
around the junction of the two pieces. 



150 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 

The brightening shown at E may extend a convenient 
distance on either side of the junction; it makes no dif- 
ference how far provided it is far enough for the width 
of join intended to be used. This, of course, depends 
upon the size of pipe to be brazed and ranges from % of 




Fig. ^i. — Pipe Wired and Blackened for Brazing 
by Immersion, 

an inch on very small pipes to i inch or 1^4 inch on very 
large pipes. 

Scraping and Brightening. 

Having brightened the pipes and wired them together 
proceed to blacken every portion of the pipe except the 
joint E. In fact ail the surface must be covered with 
plumbago blackening to prevent adherence of the spelter. 
It will be noted that the pipe is blackened at F inside 
as well at G, even the wire is blackened, in fact every 
portion except the narrow strip around the joint as shown 
at E. 

After the blackening has become dry some borax is 
dusted upon joint E and the whole business is lowered into 



BRAZING. 151 

the immersion tank. It requires but a very few seconds 
for the pipe to become heated, then it is removed and 
gently shaken to remove the superfluous spelter which ad- 
heres over the brightened portion E and comes from the 
bath looking as neat as any wiped joint ever made by the 
best workman. 



Rapidity of Immersion Brazing. 

The rapidity with which brazing may be done by the 
immersion method cannot be equaled by any other method 
of brazing. It is not very convenient, how^ever, for very 
large work, but with immersion tanks large enough to con- 
tain bicycle frames, the bicycle manufacturer makes quick 
work of his brazing. 



Pipe Brazing Clamps. 

Sometimes it is not convenient to wire together the parts 
to be brazed. In such cases permanent clamps may be 
made for that purpose, one of which is shown by Fig. 52. 
This form of clamp is particularly desirable for brazing 
Y joints. It is almost impossible to wire such joints in 
place so that they will stay while being brazed. 

The clamps illustrated consist of two pieces of iron or 
steel drilled for three bolts, each carrying a thumb nut. 
Loose clamp pieces are fitted to the radius of the pipe 
to be handled and serve to give better contact between 
the pipes and the clamp. With a clamp of this kind it is 
only necessary to place the pipes in position, screw the 
thumb nuts down tight, drive the joint firmly together 
with a hammer, then paint with plumbago, immerse in 
the tank or braze in any other manner convenient. 



152 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



Brazing Pots and Kettles. 

Fig. 53 shows a form of brazing which is not done now" 
as often as it was before the invention of the drawing 
press. Presses are now mad^ which will form up almost 
any shape of pot, kettle or other cooking utensil from a 



I 




Fig. 52. — Brazing a Y Joint. 



single flat sheet of metal. But in some work brazing like 
that shown by Fig. 53 is still necessary, particularly in 
making stills. 

In this engraving it will be noted that the ends of a 
sheet a a are brought together and dovetailed. Furthermore 
the dovetails are riveted as shown as c c to prevent the 
plates from coming apart sidewise. The rivets are given 



BRAZING. 



153 



a shallow heading so as to prevent the dovetailing from 
coming apart. Work of this kind is usually executed in 
copper. The brazing necessarily must be done with a 
metal w^hich has a lower melting point than copper and 
is, as stated elsewhere, an alloy of equal parts of copper 
and zinc. 

A similar line of dovetailing is shown at b b where 
the bottom of the pot is joined to the sides. The bottom 




Fig. 5J. — Brazing a Pot. 



is usually hammered to the requisite shape, a thick sheet 
being used which when hammered will be drawn down to 
the proper thickness. Flat rivets are put in this dovetailing 
as shown at d d, after which the brazing is effected usual- 
ly in a fire somewhat larger than that used by a black- 
smith. The brazing fire as used by coppersmiths is so 
made that it can be enlarged to almost any required di- 
mensions. It can be spread out into a long narrow fire 



154 



SOLDEEING AND BEAZING. 



or widened out into a large square area over which the 
heat and flame are very easily distributed. 

Brazing a plate, as shown by Fig. 54, is an entirely dif- 
ferent matter and one which often taxes to the utmost 
the skill of the mechanic. A curved sheet, as in a pot 




Fig. 5^. — Brazing a Plate. 



or cylinder, is easily held in position but with a flat plate 
it is sometimes very hard to keep the edges perfectly true 
with each other. Two methods are shown by Fig. 54, the 
butt joint and the lap joint. The latter is much the easier 
as far as brazing is concerned but is a much more costly 




BEAZING. 155 

joint to make owing to the work in bevelling the edges 
of the sheet. 

The joined section is shown at a, and at h is shown 
a clamp which is merely a flat bit of bar iron placed 
upon the joint as shown. A similar piece of metal is 
placed on the other side of the plate and a rivet c is 
driven through both and slightly headed to hold the plates 
firmly together in the clamp. A bolt may be used in place 
of a rivet but it is more expensive because after brazing 
it is usual to cut the rivet away with a cold chisel in 
order that the clamps may be removed, but if a little care 
is taken to braze on either side of the clamp to not get 
any brass under or into the clamp then the bolt or rivet 
may be easily driven out, the clamp removed and the 
space brazed where the clamp was applied, but as it is 
much easier to braze right through under the clamp as 
well as other places, it is as stated usual to lightly rivet 
the clamps together, then knock them off with a cold chisel 
after the brazing is completed. 

Lap Brazing Plates. 

The lap method, as stated, is easier as far as the actual 
brazing is concerned. A lap of this kind is shown at d, 
Fig. 54, and to hold the lap in position rivets e e are 
drilled through the lap and lightly headed down. After 
the brazing has been effected the rivet heads are filed 
away, leaving the surface smooth. The lap method makes 
a stronger joint than can be effected by butting the plates 
together. 

Brazing Valve Stems. 

Several methods of brazing valve stems are shown by 
Fig. 55. Brazing in automobile work is a good deal like 
welding. That is it is forbidden to be used in automobile 



156 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



construction. This, however, applies to the mechanism of 
the engine and the running gear of the carriage, but not 
to the ornamental work or to the joining of the conduct- 
ing pipes and similar articles. 

A valve stem may be so brazed that it will be as strong 
as a solid stem, but on the other hand there are many 




i 





P^ff' 55- — Good and Bad Brazed Joints. 



ways of brazing stems which are not acceptable and should 
be forbidden in automobile work. 

In Fig. 55, sketch A, the stem is to be brazed at a 
and the diameter of the stem c is quite small, probably 
not more than a J^ of an inch. If the stem be butted 
square together, as shown in A, it is evident that a very 
weak joint will result and the strength of the joint can 
be no greater than if the entire valve were made of soft 
brass. Such a joint is tabooed in automobile work. 



BRAZING. 157 

Sketch B shows the lap method of brazing a stem d 
which is flatted off from e to f, shortening the stem that 
amount but permitting the parts to lap a considerable 
distance. When well brazed this forms a quite strong 
union between the parts, but, unfortunately, as valve stems 
usually break close to the head, it is not often that we 
can make joints of this kind. 

A very common form of stem brazing is shown by 
sketch C. Here a hole is drilled through the body of the 
valve, the stem is driven in, riveted slightly and then 
brazed. This m.akes a very good joint but it is not quite 
good enough for automobile work for there is a possibility 
of the brazing becoming loose, allowing the stem to slip 
m and out of the valve head. 

The only form of brazing a joint which should be tol- 
erated in automobile work is shown by sketch D. Here 
a hole is drilled through the valve head as above but the 
hole is made much smaller and instead of having the stem 
driven in the hole is tapped and a thread is cut upon the 
stem, after which they are screwed together as tightly as 
possible and the outer end of the stem riveted lightly 
over the valve head, then after the brazing has been 
effected a joint is the result w^hich is only weaker than 
a solid stem to the extent of the difference in the diameter 
between the valve stem and its diameter at the bottom 
of the tapped thread. 



Brazing Ferrules. 

The beginner in brazing usually proceeds with a ferrule 
for a chisel handle or for a knife handle. Usually the 
ferrule consists of a bit of hoop iron cut to the right 
length and rolled up until the edges butt together. Ferrules 
are shown by Fig. 56 and it should be noted that in 
sketch A the joint is a very poor one. Only one edge 



158 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



of each end of the strip of metal touch together. This 
joint can be brazed but there will be i-i6th of an inch 
of brass in the joint and it goes without saying that the 
joint will be much weaker than if the steel had been 
fitted closely together, as shown by sketch B. 

This sketch shows a very well fitted joint and the 
resulting ferrule will be strong and good looking. There 
will be a wide streak of brass the entire length of the 
obj ect. 





B C 

Brazing a Ferrule, 



When extra strength is required in a ferrule the joint 
shown by sketch C should be employed. Here the metal 
has been scarfed and lapped and to make it fit as tight as 
possible a small rivet is drilled through the lap and lightly 
headed down. The novice in brazing need not be afraid 
that he will fit the joint so well that no brass will get 
into it. That is impossible. If a hole be drilled through 
a plate and a plug driven into that hole as tightly as 
possible then the plug may be riveted on each side of the 
plate and subjected to the brazing operation, after which 
it will be found that the brass has followed through the 
entire thickness of the plate beside the rivet. Therefore 
no matter how closely the joint may be fitted brass will 
find its way into it during the brazing, and as stated the 
closer the fitting and the less brass in the joint the strong- 
er it will be. 

Fig. 57 shows a good method of holding the ferrule dur- 



BEAZING. 159 

ing the brazing operation. A bit of wire is turned at 
right angles forming a sort of hook upon which the fer- 
rule is suspended with the joint downward. 




^^9- 57' — Heating a Ferrule Braze, 

This engraving quite plainly shows the manner in which 
the bricks of spelter are disposed inside of the ferrule. 
This makes a very good place to put the brazing material 
and it is not apt to be knocked off during the heating 
operation. In addition to this less brass is left on the 
outside of the ferrule, necessitating less work in cleaning 
up and brightening the object. 



Cleaning Brazed Joints. 

When brazed articles are removed from the fire with 
the molten brass flowing over them, means should be taken 
for removing at once the superfluous brazing material and 
not permit it to solidify into globules which must be re- 
moved when cold by means of fire or emery wheel. When 
the work comes from the fire as soon as the brass "runs" 
then the superfluous metal may be easily wiped off with a 
piece of metal wire or a stick or a little scratch brush 
may be employed to advantage. 



160 SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



Dropping Brazed Articles into Water. 

Some people make a practise of dropping brazed articles 
into water immediately after they are removed from the 
fire. The certain evolution of steam by the red hot metal 
tears away the scale and the superfluous brass from the 
surface of the metal leaving the articles quite smooth and 
clean. This method is good in some cases but it cannot 
be used with steel articles which would be injured by be- 
ing hardened as would be the case if plunged into cold 
water when in a heated condition. 



Brazing a Band Saw. 

One of the most common operations which the mechanic 
has to perform is joining together the ends of band saw;3. 
Joints of this character are required in saws of ys inch in 
width up to 7 inches or even 8 inches in width. Saws 
of such large size, however, are seldom met with except 
in the lumber regions where they are used for the economi- 
cal cutting out of lumber. The brazing operation is much 
the same whether the saw be % inch wide or many times 
that width. 




A B 

Fig. ^8, — A Well Brazed Band Saw. 

An excellent job of saw brazing is shown by Fig. 58. 
A slight mark or shading is visible at A. This mark in- 
dicates one end of the lap in the saw which covers thres 
teeth in length. 



I 



BRAZING. 161 

At B is another very slight marking but it is on the 
opposite side of the saw at the other extremity of the lap. 

Fig. 59 is a very good example of "How not to do it." 
It will be noted that the teeth do not match each other. A 
job of this kind should never be turned out by a mechanic 
who prides himself upon his brazing ability. Further 
comment regarding this engraving is not necessary, it 
speaks for itself. 

Methods of Holding and Brazing Band Saws. 

Several methods are in use for holding and brazing band 
saws, and the time honored clamp illustrated by Fig. 60 
is perhaps the best known piece of apparatus for saw 

PW' 59' — ^ Slovenly Job of Sazv Brazing. 

brazing. The clamp is made of two or three pieces and 
they are steel. The one illustrated by Fig. 60 is composed 
of two pieces, the lower one having been channeled in a 
planer to receive the upper or smaller piece of metal. 
After the two pieces are fitted together and fastened by 
means of two bolts and thumb nuts then a notch is cut 
in the middle of the tool as shown and here the work 
of brazing the saw is carried out. Two holes are shown 
at G and D and screws may be put into these holes and 
into the bench or some other adequate support for the 
brazing clamp. 

A saw is shown in position ready for brazing, being 
clamped in the tool, and it will be noted that the notch 
extends back beyond the saw at the point where the braz- 



162 SOLDERING AND BEAZING. 

ing is being done while on the other side of the notch 
the back of the saw bears firmly against the body of the 
clamp thereby keeping the saw perfectly straight. 

It will be noted that the ends of the saw fit together in 
a very peculiar manner. They are slightly bent so that 
both ends of the lap touch while the middle of the lap 
is a small distance apart. The saw is purposely fitted in 
this way in order that a sure contact may be made with 
each end of the lap. With the saw in position as shown 
by Fig. 60, with a thin piece of soft brass placed between 
the ends of the saw and with a liberal dusting of borax 




Fig. 60. — Band Sazv Brazing Clamp. 

powder, heat is applied by means of a torch, a blow pipe 
or by means of the brazing tongs shown by Fig. 61. 

Tongs for the purpose of saw brazing consist of very 
large solid pieces of metal from i inch to 3 inches square 
hinged together like an ordinary pair of blacksmith's tongs 
but made to pinch closely and securely together against 
the entire length of the jaw. 

The saw being in position as shown by Fig. 60, the 
brazing tongs, Fig. 61 are heated to a low red heat and 
then clamped carefully and firmly upon the ends of the 
band saw shown in the notch at Fig. 60. Pressure being 
applied to the handles of the tongs the jaws are brought 
together, the brass is quickly melted and the saw is pressed 
into close contact along the entire length of the lap. The 
tongs may be left in this position until the joint is cool 



BEAZING. 



163 



or they may be removed in a few seconds and the saw 
joint sei7ed for a second or two with a common pair of 
pHers to make sure that the lapped ends remain in perfect 
contact during the cooHng process. 




Fig. 6i. — Brazing Tongs. 

When a blow pipe or torch is used for heating the saw 
a pair of cooling tongs is usually applied after the brass 
has commenced to run. The common form of cooling 
tongs is shown by Fig. 62 and, as may be seen by the 



164 



SOLDERING AND BRAZING. 



engraving, it is merely a pair of pliers with a very much 
elongated pair of jaws. 

As soon as the brass is seen to run in the band saw 
bore the cooling tongs are gently slipped upon the joint 




Fig. 62. — Cooling Tongs, 

and pressed tight for a second or two, the source of heat- 
ing being removed at the same instant the tongs are ap- 
pHed, The effect of the tongs is to squeeze the joint to- 
gether and to hold it firmly during the cooling operation 
which is almost instantaneous, so quickly does the cooling 
tongs carry away heat from the saw. 



INDEX. 



Absorbed, Iron by Solder, 

Z7 

Absorption of Hydrochlo- 
ric Acid Gas by Water, 51 

Acid, action of on Metal, 95 

— , Boracic, 65-66 

— '^Cut," 91 

— Fumes, Cleaning Zinc to 
Avoid, 49 

— , Hydrochloric Gas, Ab- 
sorption of by Water, 51 

, Testing, 50-53 

— , Injurious to Electric 
Soldering Tools, 134 

— , Lactic, Soldering Fluid, 

44 

— Method of Cleaning 
Coppers, 17 

— Oxidizing Process, 95 
— , Selecting by Hydrome- 
ter Test, 53 

— , Sulphuric, 99 
Action, Mechanical of 
Fluxes, 40 

— of Acid on Metal, 95 

— of Blow Pipe Flames, 32 

— of Colophony, 42 
Adulterated Tallow, 124 
After Soldering, Silver 

Solders, for, 58 



Air Gas Blow Pipe, 61 
' — , Protect Bits from, 16 
— , Pump Leakage, 2^ 
Alcohol and Gasoline, Gums 

and Resins Soluble in, 45 
Alloys and their Melting 

Points, 4 

— for Brazing, 147 
— , Lead and Tin, 35 
Aluminum and Bronze 

Fluxes for, 46 

— Fluxes for, 45 
Appearance of a Flat 

Wipe Joint, 120 
Appliance for Pipe Braz- 
ing, 151 
Appliances, Soldering Tools 

and Methods, 8 
— , Electric Branding, 143 
Applied, when Fluxes 

should be, ()(i 
Apply Fluxes, when to, 2i^ 
Applying Borax and Spel- 
ter, 147 

— Fluxes to Silver Solder- 
ing, Method of, 66 

— Hard Solder, 66 

— Melted Solder to a Wipe 
Joint, 109 

— Solder, 79 

Articles, Brazed, Dropping 
into Water, 160 



165 



166 



INDEX. 



Artistic Instinct, the, in 

Wiping Joints, 114 
Artist, Joint Wiper, must 

be, 114 
Asbestos Pads, 124 
Attraction, Capillary, ']2 
Autogeneous Soldering, 2 
Automatic Sprinkler-Head 

Soldering, 3 
Avoid Acid Fumes, Clean- 
ing Zinc to, 49 

— Chattering of a Scraper, 

— Lengthwise Strokes in 
Finishing Wipe Joints, 116 



B 

Bad and Good Brazing, 156 
Band Saw, Brazing, 160 
— , Brazing Clamp, 162 
Band Saws, Methods of 
Holding and Brazing, 161 
Bed Ticking Pads, 124 
Beginning a Wipe Joint, no 
Bevel, Length of, on Sol- 
dering Coppers, 71 
Bit, Copper, Cleaning a, 16 
— , Hatchet the, 10 
Bits, Protect from Air, 16 
Blacking Pipe before Wip- 
ing, 107-110 
for Immersion Braz- 
ing, 150 
Blow Pipe, Gasoline, Home- 
made, 52 
Soldering on Char- 
coal, 61 

, Soldering with, -^Z 

, Soldering with the, 58 

, Squeeze Soldering, 59 

,the, 31 



Blow Pipe Torch, 63 

Fitted Joint Solder- 
ing, 60 

Flames, Action of, 32 

Gas, 61 

, G ^ s o 1 i n e Arrange- 
ment, ()Z 

Blow Torch Furnace, 29 

Furnaces, Theory of, 

30 

, Gasoline, 25 

Heating with and Tin- 
ning Copper with a, 91 

, Soldering with a, 89 

, Starting a, 28 

Blow Torches, Gasoline, 
Defects of, 2^ 

, Leakages in, 27 

Blue Vitriol, 46 

Board, Card, Perforating, 

Boiler, Range, Gas Gener- 
ator, 63 

Boilers, Steam, Fusible 
Plugs for, 3 

Boracic Acid, 65 

Flux, (iG 

Borax and Potash, 65 

— and Resin, Dissolving, 43 

, Heat Effect on, 7 

, Soldering Fluids, 45 

— and Spelter, Applying, 147 
— , a Universal Flux for 

Hard Soldering, 7 

— , t h e Foundation of 
Fluxes, 65 

— , the Proper Flux for 
Welding Operations, 7 

Branding Appliances, Elec- 
tric, 143 

Brass and Copper, Method 
of Tinning, 90 

Brass Foundry, Soldering 
Coppers from, 13 



INDEX. 



167 



Brass Wire Scratch Brush, 

the, 85 
Brazed Articles, Dropping 

into Water, 160 

— Joint, Cleaning a, 159 
Braze, Ferrule, Heating a, 

159 
Brazing, 144 

— Band Saw, 160 
— , Alloys for, 147 

— and Poor Soldering, 
Causes of, 66 

— a Plate, Butt, 154 

— a Plate, Lap, 155 

— Appliance for Pipe, 151 

— a Saw, Slovenly Job of, 
161 

— Band Saws, Methods of, 
161 

— by Conducted Heat, 145 

— by Electricity, 145 

— by Immersion, 145 

, Preparing Work for, 

149 

, Rapidity of, 151 

, Tank for, 149 

, Wiring and Blacking 

Pipe for, 162 

— Clamp for Band Saws, 
150 

— Ferules, 157 

— , Fluxes for, 147 
— , Good and Bad, 156 
— , Materials for, 146 

— or Hard Solderins:, 145 

— Pots and Kettles, 152 

— Tongs, 163 

— Valve Stems, 155 

— , Preparing a Y Joint for, 

152 
— , Various Methods of, 144 
— , Various Methods of 

Heating for, 146 



Brick Method of Tinning 
Coppers, 20 

Brightening and Scraping, 
150 

Britannia Ware, Mending, 3 

Bronze and Aluminum, 
Fluxes for, 46 

Brush, Scratch, the, 84 

Bulging and Uneven Seams, 
Cause of, 70 

Bunsen Burner, Operating 
a, 25 

, the, 25 

Burned Seams, Lead, Imi- 
tating, 76 

Burning Coppers, Prevent- 
ing from, 7 

— , Lead, 2 

— or Autogeneous Solder- 
ing, 2 

— Tin, 2 

Butt Brazing a Plate, 154 



C 

Calibrating the Hydrome- 
ter, 53 
Capillary Attraction, ']2 
Carbonate of Soda, 65, 100 
Card Board, Perforating, 87 
Care of Electric Soldering 
Tools, 131 

— of Electric Soldering 
Tools, 143 

— of Vulcan Soldering 
Tools, 138 

— of Wipe Pads, 124 
Cartridge Type of Electric 

Soldering Tool Heaters, 
137 

— Unit, the Glorite Stand- 
ard, 137 



168 



INDEX. 



Case Hardening a Scraper, 

22 

Casting in Soldering Cop- 
per Handles, 13 

— Solder " Pigs," 39 
Catch Solder while Wiping 

Joints, no 

Cause of Defective Solder- 
ing, 68-69 

— of Roueh Seams, "/"] 

— of Uneven and Bulging 
Seams, 70 

— of Trouble, one, in Elec- 
tric Soldering Tools, 127 

Causes of Poor Soldering 
and Brazing, ^(^ 

Cavities in Wipe Joints, 118 

Clamp, 121 

Cement, Metallic, 2 

Changing Melting Point by 
Heat and Pressure, 3 

Characteristics of a Flux, 5 

Charcoal, Blow Pipe, Sol- 
dering on, 61 

— Flux, 8 

Chemical Methods, Pulver- 
izing by, 54 

Chattering of a Scraper, 
Avoid, 84 

Chloride of Sodium, 99 

— of Zinc, 43 

— of Zinc, Preparino-, 44 

— of Zinc Solution, 91 

— of Zinc, Tinning with, 48 

— Zinc Solution, Filter the, 
50 

Clamp, C, 121 

— for Brazing Band Saws, 
162 

Cleaning a Brazed Joint, 159 

— a Copper Bit, 16 

— Coppers, Acid Method of, 
17 



Cleaning Coppers before 
Tinning, i^ 

— Coppers, Filing or Scrap- 
ing Methods of, 17 

— , Hard Solder Joint, when 
should be done, 60 

— Zinc to Avoid Acid 
Fumes, 49 

Clean Solder, Dip Out, 124 
Close Fitting Wipe Joints, 

Importance of, 119 
Closely Fitted Joints for 
^ Soldering, 5, 33, 97 
Cold Solder on Wipe Joints, 

119 

— " Shuts '' in Wipe Joints, 
120 

Colophony, Action of, 42 
Coloring Soft Solder 

Seams, 46 
Commencing the Wiping 

Operation, no 
Commercially Profitable 

Coppers, II 
Common Form of Electric 

Soldering Tool, 129 

— Forms of Soldering Cop- 
pers, 9 

— Fluxes, 41 

Commonly Used Solders, 2 
Composition of Very Soft 

Solders, 3 
Comparison of Solder 

Melting Points, 36 
Compounds and Soldering 

Fluids, 34 
— , Soldering, 41 
— , Soldering, Making, 54 

— Stored in small. Close 
Vessels, 55 

Conducted Heat, Brazing 

by, 145 
Connections for Electric 

Soldering Tool, 130 



INDEX. 



169 



Contact, Tinning by, 92 
Cooling Tongs, 164 
Copper and Brass, Method 
of Tinning, 90 

— Bit, Cleaning of, 16 

— Corner of, Soldering 
with a, y2 

— Hatchet, Heavy, Using 
of, 13 

— , Heat Transmitted from 

a, ^2 
— , Judging Heat of a, 'J2 
— , Light, Soldering Heavy 

Work with a, 90 
— , Soldering Handles, Cast- 

ing-in, 13 
— , Soldering, Household, 11 
— , Soldering, Improved 

Handles for, 14 
— , Soldering Wire, 13 

— Solution, 46 
— , Straight, 9 

— , Tinning with, Heating 
with the Blow Torch, 91 

Coppers, Cleaning, Acid 
Method of, 17 

— , Cleaning before Tin- 
ning, 15 

— , Cleaning, Filing or 
Scraping Methods of," 17 

— , Filing, 12 

— , Forging to Shape, Man- 
ner of, 12 

— , Preventing from Burn- 
ing, 7 

— , Profitable Commercially, 
II 

— , Round, Forging a, 11 

— , Size and Shape of, 13 

— , Soldering, Common 
Forms of, 9 

— , — , for Model Work, 14 

— , — from Brass Foundry, 
13 



Coppers, Soldering, Handles 
for, 10 

-, Heating, 24 
, — , Length of Bevel, 71 
-, Patterns for, 13, 38 
, — , Position of, 71 
— , Special Forms of, 12 
Special, Purchasing, 13 
Swivel Head, 10 
Tinning, the Brick 
Method of, 20 
Tinning with a File, 17 
Tinning with Sal-Am- 
moniac, 19 
Two, Tinning at Once, 
18 

Using Soldering, 69 
with Wooden Handle, 10 
Corner of a Copper, Sol- 
dering with the, ^2 
Correct Form of Wipe 

Joint Finishing, 117-118 
Corrosion of Lead Pipe by 

Water, 119 
Cotton Seed Oil and Fish 

Oil, 123 
Covering Surface of Wipe 

Joint, III 
Cultivation of Form in 

Wipe Joints, 118 
Current for Electric Sol- 
dering Tools, 128 
'' Cut " Acid, 91 
Cutting Zinc, Necessary 

Precautions in, 48 
Cylindrical Work, Flux on, 
66 



D 

Defect, a Leakage, 11 
Defective Soldering, Cause 
of, 68-69 



170 



INDEX. 



Defects of Gasoline Blow 

Torches, 2y 
— , Hot Metal in Wipe 

Joints, 120 
— , Some other in Wipe 

Joints, 120 
Delicacy of the Electric 

Soldering Tool, 133 
Dip Out Clean Solder, 124 
Dirt, Shop in the Melting 

Pot, 124 
Dirty Tallow, Straining, 124 
Discoloring Temperature of 

Hardened Steel, 94 
Dissolving Borax and 

Resin, 45 
Distributing Solder Sym- 
metrically on ^U e 

Joints, 115 
Double and Single Pads on 

Wipe Joints, Using, 115 
Dropping Brazed Articles 

into Water, 160 

— from Wipe Joints, Sol- 
der Preventing, 114 

Dross or Oxide of Lead, 6 
Drying Out Joints to be 

Wiped, 121 
Dry Fluxes or Wet, 148 

— Molds Before Using 
Them, 39 



Effect of Heat on Borax 
and Resin, 7 

— of Water in Wipe Joints, 
122 

Electric Branding Appli- 
ances, 143 

— Method of Heating a 
Soldering Tool, 126 

— Soldering, 126 



Electric Soldering, Speed of, 
132 

— Soldering Tool, 126 

— Soldering Tool, Common 
Form of, 129 

— Soldering Tool, connec- 
tions for, 130 

— Soldering Tool, • Good 
Form of Stand for, 126 

— Soldering Tool Heat- 
ers, Cartridge Type, 137 

— Soldering Tool, Over- 
coming Prejudice 
against, 133 

— Soldering Tool, Simplex, 
141 

— Soldering Tools, care of, 
131-143 

— Soldermg Tools, Cur- 
rent for, 128 

— Soldering Tools, Deli- 
cacy of the, 133 

— Soldering Tools, '' G. E '^ 
137 

— Soldering Tools, Injury 
by Acid, 134 

— Soldering Tools, Life of 
the "G. E.," 137. 

— Soldering Tools, One 
Cause of Trouble in, 147 

— Soldering Tools, Selec- 
tion and Use of, 142 

— Soldering Tools, Selec- 
tion of, 136 

— Soldering Tools, Series 
Resistance of, 128 

— Soldering Tools, Stands 
for, 135 

— Soldering Tools, sure 
quick Heating, 132 

— Soldering Tools, Tem- 
perature of, 136 

— Soldering Tools, Trouble 
in Winding, 131 



3 



INDEX. 



171 



Electric Soldering Tools, 

Weight of " G. E." 137 
Electricity, Brazing by, .145 
English Plumber's Solder, 

36 

Excess of Solder, Remov- 
ing, 68 

Expanding Pipe Ends for 
Wiping, 102 

Plug, 102 

— Plug, Parabolic, 102 

Explanatory and Introduc- 
tory, I 



Ferrocyanide of Potash, 65 
Ferule Braze, Heating, a, 

159 
Ferules, Brazing, 157 
File, Old, Scrapers, 24 
— , Tinning Coppers with a, 

}7 
Filing Coppers, 12 

— or Scraping Methods of 
Cleaning Coppers, 17 

Filtering and Straining 
Resin and Sal-Ammoniac 
Solutions, 54 

Filter the Zinc Chloride So- 
lution, 50 

Fine Iron Wire for Hold- 
ing Solder, 66 

Fingers, Position of on 
Joint Wiping Pads, 115 

Fingers, Protecting, while 
Wiping Joints, no 

Finished Joints without 
Perceptible Mark, 117 

— Poorly, W^ipe Joints, 118 
Finishing a Wipe Joint, 

113, 114, 115 
' — Hard Solder Joints, 67 



Finishing Wipe Joints, 
Avoid Lengthwise 
Strokes, 116 

Finished Wipe Joint, Cor- 
rect Form of, 118 

— Wipe Joint, Poor Form, 
116 

First Soldering, Hard, Sil- 
ver Solders for, 57 

Fish Oil and Cotton Seed 
Oil, 124 

Fitting, Close, Wipe Joints, 
Importance of, 119 

— ^Work Together, 97 

Flames, Blow Pipe, iVction 
of, z^ ^ 

— Reducing and Oxidizing, 

31 
Flanging Lead Pipe, 102 
Flat and Cylindrical Work, 

Flux on, 66 

— Pieces Soldering Two, 69 
— Wipe Joint, Appearance 

of a, 120 
Flattening Down a Wipe 

Joint, 120 
Flowers of Sulphur, 66 
Fluid, Soldering a Good, 44 

— Soldering and Com- 
pounds, 34 

— Soldering, Gaudien's, 45 

— Soldering, Lactic Acid, 44 
Fluids, Soldering, Borax 

and Resin, 45 

— Soldering, Methods of 
Making, 48 

Flux, Boracic Acid, 66 

— Characteristics of, 5 

— Charcoal, 8 

— for Joint Wiping, 123 

— for Welding Operations, 
the Proper, 7 

— Lime, Welding Steel 
with, 7 



172 



INDEX. 



— in Place, Keeping Hard 
Solder, 67 

— on Flat and Cylindrical 
Work, 66 

— Paddle or Spatula, 66 

— Universal, 7 

— Universal, Borax for 
Hard Solder, 7 

— Welding, Silica as a, 7 
Fluxes and Fluxing, 5, 40 

— Apply, when to, 2)'^ 

— Borax, the Foundation 
for, 65 

— Common, 41 

— for Aluminum, 45-46 

— for Brazing, 147 

— for Silver Soldering, 65 

— Mechanical Action of, 40 

— Method of Applying to 
Silver Soldering, 66 

— Selecting, 7 

— Should be Applied when, 
66 

— Substitution of, 7 

— Theory of 5 

— Wet or Dry, 148 
Fluxing and Fluxes, 5-40 
Forge, Smith's Substitute 

for, 64 
Forging Coppers to Shape, 
Manner of, 12 

— Round Coppers, 12 
Formation of Oxide, 6 
Form, Common, of Electric 

Soldering Tool, 129 

— Correct, of Wipe Joint 
Finishing, 117, 118 

— Cultivation of in Wipe 
Joints, 118 

— Poor, of Wipe Joint, 118 

— Poor, of Wipe Joint 
Finishing, 116 

Forms, Common, of Solder- 
ing Coppers, 9 



Foundation for Fluxes, 

Borax the, 65 
Foundry, Brass, Soldering 

Coppers from, 13 
Fumes, Acid, Cleaning Zinc ■ 

to Avoid, 48-4Q Ij 

Furnace, Blow Torch, 29 ■ 

Furnaces, Blow Torch, 

Theory of, 30 
Fusible Plugs, Tin for, 3 

for Steam Boilers, 3 

— Substances, Soldering, 75 



Galvanized Iron, Soldering, 
20 

Soldering, 96 

Tinning, 96 

Gas Blow Pipe, 61 
, Air, 61 

— Generator, Range Boiler, 

— , Hydrochloric Acid, Ab- 
sorption of by Water, 51 

Gasoline and Alcohol, 
Gums and Resins Solu- 
ble in, 45 

— Blow Pipe Arrangement, 

63 

— Blow Pipe, Home Made, 
62 

— Blow Torches, Defects 
of, 27 

— Blow Torch, the, 25 

— Leakage, 27 
Gaudien's Soldering Fluid, 

45 
'' G. E." Electric Soldering 
Tools, 137 

— Electric Soldering Tools, 
Life of, 137 



INDEX. 



173 



Generator, Gas, Range 

Boiler, 63 
Gilding Soldered Seams, 47 
Gold, Solders for, 56 
Good and Bad Brazing, 156 
— Soldering Fluid, a, 44 
Glorite, Standard Cartridge 

Unit, 1.^7 
Gums and Resins Soluble in 

Gasoline and Alcohol, 45 

H 

Half and Half Solder, 
elting Point of, 109 

Handles, Casting-in, Solder- 
ing Coppers, 13 

— for Soldering Coppers, 10 
— of Soldering Coppers Im- 
proved, 14 

— Rawhide and Leather, 10 

— Wooden, Coppers with, 
10 

Handy Soldering Tool, 14 
Hard Silver Solders, 57 
for First Soldering, 

57 

— Solder, Applying, 66 
Flux, Keeping in Place, 67 
Joint, Cleaning should 

be done, when, 68 

Joints, Finishing. 6y 

, Scraping, 68 

, Penetration of, 5 

, Universal Flux for, 7 

— Soldered Work, Proving, 
68 

— Soldering or Brazing, 145 

— Steel, Tinning, 94 
Hardened Steel, Discolor- 
ing Temperature of, 94 

Hatchet Bit, 10 

— Copper, Heavy, Using a, 
13 



Heat and Pressure, Chane- 

ing Melting Point by, 3 
— , Conducted, Brazing . by, 

145 

— , Effect of on Borax and 
Resin, 7 

— , Judging, of a Copper, y2 

— , Transmitted from a Cop- 
per, 72 

Heating a Ferule Braze, 

159 

— a Soldering Tool, Elec- 
tric Method of, 126 

— for Brazing, Various 
Methods of, 146 

— of Electric Soldering 
Tools, 132 

— Operation, Wipe Joint, 
no 

— Pipe for Wipe Joints, 109 

— Solder, Catch while Wip- 
ing Joints, no 

— Soldering Coppers, 24 

— the Joint, in 

— with Blow Torch and 
Tinning wnth Copper, 91 

Heavy Soldering, 88 

— Work, Soldering with 
Light Copper, 90 

Height of Ladle Above 

Wipe Joint, in 
Holding and Brazing Band 

Saws, Methods of, 161 

— Short Pieces of Pipe, 121 

— Solder, Fine Iron Wire 
for, 67 

— Work Solid when Wip- 
ing Joints, 121 

Homemade Gasoline Blow 
Pipe, 62 

— Hydrometer, 51-52 
Horizontal Pipes, Solder- 
ing, 104 



174 



INDEX. 



Horizontal Spread of a 
Wipe Joint, 120 

Hot Metal, other Wipe 
Joint Defects, 120 

Household Soldering Cop- 
per, II 

How to Make Smooth 
Seams, 76 

Hydrochloric Acid Gas Ab- 
sorption of by Water, 2 

Testing, 50-53 

Hydrometer, Calibrating a, 

53 
— Test, Selecting Acid by, 

53 
— , Usmg the, 51 



I 



Iron Absorbed by Solder, 

— and Steel, Tinning, 92 

— Galvanized, Soldering, 20 
, Soldering, 96 

, Tinning, 96 

— , Soldering, 8 

— Wire, Fine for Holding 
Solder, 67 

Imitating Lead Burned 

Seams, 76 
— ^Wipe Joints in Pipes, 104 
Immersion Brazing, 145 
, Preparing Work for, 

149 
■ — , — , Rapidity of, 151 

, Tank for, 149 

— , — , Wiring and Blacking 

Pipe for, 150 
Importance of Close Fitting 

Wipe Joints, 119 
Improved Soldering Copper 

Handles, 14 



Injury to Electric Soldering 
Tools by Acid, 134 

Inscrewing Soldering Tool 
Tips, 140 

Instinct, Artistic, the in 
Wiping Joints, 114 

Introductory and Explana- 
tory, I 



i 



Job of Saw Brazing, a slov- 
enly, 161 

Joint Wipe, Applying Melt- 
ed Solder to, 109 

— , Cleaning a Brazed, 159 

—, Fitted, Blow Pipe Sol- 
dering, 60 

— Heating, the, iii 

— , Patched, is Undesirable, 
115 

— ; Pipe, Male End of, 102 

— , Pouring Solder on the, 
no 

— , Sweating a, 98 

— , Symmetrical, Smooth, 
Solid, a, 117 

— , Preparing for Brazing, 
152 

— , Wipe, a Finishing, 115 

, Beginning, no 

, Correct Form of 

Finishing, 118 

, Covering Surface of, 

III 

, Finishing a, 113-115 

, Finishing of, Poor 

Form, 116 

, Flat, Appearance of a, 

120 

, Flattening Down of ?, 

120 



.-I 



INDEX. 



175 



Joint Wipe, Heating Opera- 
tion, no 

, Height of Ladle 

Above, III 

, Horizontal Spread of, 

120 

, Melting a, 120 

, Obstruction in Pipe 

at a, 119 

, Poor Form of, 118 

, Shaped too Quickly, 

114 
, Working Solder on, 

112 

— Wiper must be an Artist, 
114 

— Wiping, Flux for, 123 
, Pads, Position of 

Fingers on, 115 

, Precautions, 121 

, Softening Lead Pipe, 

when, 120 
Jointed, Wipe, Scraping 

Pipe, to be, 106 
Joints Closely Fitted, 5, S3^ 

— , Hard Solder, Finishing, 

67. . 

— , Finished without Per- 
ceptible Mark, 117 

— , Hard Solder, Scraping, 
68 

— , Soldered, Strength of, 56 

— , to be W^iped, Drying 
Out, 121 

— , Wipe and Moisture, 121 

, and Resin, 124 

, A V o i d Lengthwise 

Strokes in Finishing, T16 

, Cavities in, 118 

, Cold " Shuts " in, 120 

, Cold Solder on, no 

, Correct Form of Fin- 
ishing, 117 



Joints Closely Fitted, Culti- 
vation of Form in, 118 

, Distributing Solder 

Symmetrically on, 115 

, Effect of W^ater in, 

122 

, Fitting Close, Im- 
portance of, 119 

, '' Lick and Promise," 

119 , 

, Ornamenting, 125 

, other Hot Metal De- 
fects in, 120 

, Poorly Finished, 118 

, Poor, should be melt- 
ed, 116 

, Preventing Solder 

from Dropping, 114 

, Removing W'^ipe Pads 

from Finished, 118 

, Solder Slumps in, 112 

, some other Defects 

in, 120 

, Stringy and Ridgy 

Surface of, 116 

, Symmetrical, 114 

, Solder for, 107 

, Heating Pipe for, 109 

, Imitating in Pipes, 104 

, Ladle for, 107 

, Lead Prepared for, 

108 

, Making, 105 

, Making Solder for, 

109 

, Melting Pot Used for, 

106 

, Pads for, no 

, Paper on, 105 

, Properly treated Pipe 

for, 103 

, Removing Superflu- 
ous Solder from, 115 



176 



INDEX. 



Joints Closely Fitted, Scrap- 
ing Pipe for, io6 
, Single and Double 

Pads Using on, 115 

, Tallow for, 107 

, Testing Pipe to be, 

123 

, Tools for, 106 

— Wiping, Catch Solder 

while Heating, no 
, Holding Work Solid 

when, 121 
, Sense of Proportion 

Necessary in, 114 
^ Protectin-g Fingers 

while, no 
__ — ^the Artistic linstinct 

in, 114 
, Time Necessary for, 

115 
Judging Heat of a Copper, 

72 



K 

Keeping Hard Solder Flux 

in Place, 67 
Kettle, Tallow, 124 
Kettles and Pots, Brazing, 

152 
Killed ^'Spirits of Salt," 
100 



Lactic Acid Soldering 

Fluid, 44 
Ladle for Wipe Joints, 107 
— , Height of Above Joint, 

III 
Lap Brazing a Plate, 155 



Lead and Tin Alloys, 35 

— and Tin, Melting Point 
of, 109 

— and Tin Oxidization, 6 

— Burned Seams, Imitating, 
76 

— Burning, 2 

— Dross or Oxide, 6 

— Pipe, Corrosion of by 
Water, 119 

, Flanging, 102 

, Melting Point of, 123 

, Prepared for Wipe 

Joint, 108 

, Sawing, 102 

, Solderinp-. loi 

, Softening, when Wipe 

Jointing, 120 
Leakage a Defect, 119 
— , Air. Pump, 2y 
— , Gasoline, 2y 
Leakages in Blow Torches, 

27 
Leather and Rawhide Han- 
dles, 10 
Length of Bevel on Solder- 
ing Coppers, 71 
Lengthwise Strokes Avoid 

in Finishing Wipe Joints, 

116 
'• Lick and Promise " Wipe 

Joints, 119 
Life of " G. E." Electric 

Soldering Tools, 137 
Light Copper, Soldering 

Heavy Work with a, 90 
Lime Flux, Welding Steel 

with, 7 
Liquids, Soldering, 42 
Long Seams, Running, 76 
Low Temperature Solders, 

Using, 3 
Low Voltage Soldering 

Tools, Resistance for, 129 



INDEX. 



177 



M 

Making a Smooth Stop in 
a Seam, 79 

— Solder for Wipe Joints, 
109 

, Manner of, yj 

— Making Soldering Com- 
pounds, 54 

Fluids, Method of, 48 

— Wipe Joints, 105 

Male End of Pipe Joint, 
102 

Manner of Forging Cop- 
pers to Shape, 12 

— of Making Solder, 2il 
Margin of Safety between 

Solder and Pipe, 120 
Mark, Perceptible, Joint 

Finished without, 117 
Materials for Brazing, 146 
Match, a. Testing Solder 

Temperature with, 109 
Mechanical Action of 

Fluxes, 40 
Melted Metals, Transport- 
ing, 7 

— off. Poor W^ipe Joints 
should be, 116 

— Solder, Applying to a 
Wipe Joint, 109 

, too much, 112 

— Tin, Temperature of, 94 
Melting a Wipe Joint, 120 

— Point, Changing by Heat 
and Pressure, 3 

of Half and Half Sol- 
der, 109 

of Lead and Tin, 109 

of Lead Pipe, 123 

of Tin, 109 

— Points of Alloys, 4 
of Solder, Comparison 

of, 36 



Melting Point of Soft Sol- 
ders, 2 

, Solder, Temperature 

Range of, 3 

— Pot, returning Solder to, 
III 

, Shop Dirt in the, 124 

Used for Wipe Joints, 

106 
Mending Tin or Britannia 

Ware, 3 
Metal, Action of Acid on, 

95 

— Hot, other Wipe Joint 
Defects in, 120 

— , Protection of, 6 

— , Melted, Transporting of, 

7 

Metallic Cement, i 

Method, Acid of Cleaning 
Coppers, .17 

— , Brick, of Tinning Cop- 
pers, 20 

— , Electric, of Heating a 
Soldering Tool, 126 

— , of Applying Fluxes to 
Silver Soldering, 66 

— , of Making Soldering 
Fluids, 48 

— , of Tinning Brass and 
Copper, 90 

Methods, Chemical, Meth- 
ods by, 54 

— of Cleaning Coppers, Fil- 
ing or Scraping, 17 

— of Holding and Brazing 
Band Saws, 161 

— of Silver Soldering, 48 
— , Soldering, Tools and 

Appliances, 8 
— , Various, of Brazing, 144 
— , — , of Heating for Braz- 
ing, 146 



178 



INDEX. 



Minuteness of Small Sol- 
dering, 88 

Model Work, Soldering 
Coppers for, 14 

Moisture and Wipe Joints, 
181 

Molds, Dry before Using 
them, 39 

— for Solder Sticks, 38 



N 

Necessary Precautions in 

Cutting Zinc, 48 
— Time for Wiping Joints, 

Non-Adhering Solder in 
Wipe Joints, 112 



O. 

Objects, Small, Tinning, 22 
Obstruction in Pipe at a 

Wipe Joint, 119 
Obtain Pure Tallow, 113 
Oil, Cotton Seed and Fish 

Oil, 124 
Old File Scrapers, 24 
One Cause of Trouble in 

Electric Soldering Tools, 

127 
Operating a Bunsen Burner, 

^5 . • 

Operation, Heating, Wipe 
Joint, no 

— , Wiping, Commencing a, 
no 

Operations, Welding, Bor- 
ax the Proper Flux for, 7 

Ordinary Tin, Soldering, 34 

— Wipe Solder, Pipe Joint, 
105 



Ornamenting Wipe Joints, 
125 

Other Hot Metal Wipe 
Joint Defects, 120 

Overcoming Prejudice 
against the Electric Sol- 
dering Tool, 133 

Oxide, Formation of, 6 

— , or Dross of Lead, *6 

— Protection of Metal, 6 

— , Reducing, 8 

— , Saving of, 8 

Oxidization of Lead and 
Tin, 6 

— , Proof of, 6 

Oxidizing and Reducing 
Flames, 31 

— , Process, Acid, 95 



Paddle, Flux or Spatula, ()(i 

Pads, Asbestos, 124 

— , Bed Ticking, 124 

— , Double and Single, Us- 
ing on Wipe Joints, 115 

— , for Wipe Joints, no 

— , Wipe, Tallow on, 125 

— , Wipe, Care of, 124 

— , — , Plumbers, 99 

— , — , Removing from Fin- 
ished Joints, 118 

— , — , Thin, 125 

— , Wiping, Position of Fin- 
gers on, 115 

Paper on Wipe Joints, 105 

Parabolic Expanding Plug, 
102 

Paste, Soldering, 41 

Patched Joint, a, is Unde- 
sirable, 115 

Patching a Seam, 78 



1 



INDEX. 



179 



Patterns for Soldering Cop- 
pers, 13-38 
Penetration of Hard Sol- 
der, 5 
Perforating Card Board, 87 
Pieces of Pipe, Short, Hold- 
ing, 121 
— , Soldering Two Flat, 69 
Pigs, Solder, Casting, 39 
Pine, White, Solder Testing 

Stick, 109 
Pipe and Solder, Margin of 

Safety Between, 120 
— , Blacking, before Wiping, 

107-110 
— , Blow, the, 31 
— , — , /\ction of Flames, s^ 
— , — , Soldering with, 33 

— Brazing Appliance, 151 

— End Expanding for Wip- 
ing, 102 

— Expanding Plug, 102 

— , Heating, for Wipe 
Joints, 109 

— Joint, an Ordinary Wipe 
Solder, 105 

.Male End of, 102 

— Lead, Corrosion of by 
Water, 119 

, Flanging, 102 

, Melting Point of, 123 

, Prepared for Wipe 

Joint, 108 

, Sawing, 102 

.Soldering, loi 

, Softening when Wipe 

Jointing, 120 
— , Obstruction in at a Wipe 

Joint, 119 
— , Pads, Tallow the, 125 
— , Properly Treated for 

Wipe Joints, 103 
— , S c r a p i n g, for Wipe 

Joints, 106 



Pipe, Scraping, to be Wipe 

Jointed, 106 
— , Short Pieces, Holding 

of, 121 
— , Testing, to be Wipe 

Jointed, 123 
— , Wiring and Blacking 

for Immersion Brazing, 

150 
Pipes, Horizontal, Solder- 
ing, 104 
— , Imitating Wipe Joints 

in, 104 
— , Placing for Wiping 

Joints, 107 
— Vertical Soldering, 102 
Placing Pipes for Wiping 

Joints, 107 
Plain Seam Running, a 70 
Plate, Butt Brazing a, 154 
— , Lap Brazing a, 155 
Plug, Expanding, Parabolic, 

102 
— , Pipe Expanding, 102 
Plugs, Fusible, for Steam 

Boilers, 3 
— , — , Tin for, 3 
Plumbers' English Solder, 
3^ 

— Wipe Pads, 99 

Point, Melting, of Lead 
Pipe, 123 

— , — , of Tin, 109 

Poor Form of Wipe Joint, 
118 

of Wipe Joint Finish- 
ing, 116 

— Soldering and Brazing, 
Causes of, 66 

— Wipe Joints should be 
Melted Off, 116 

Poorly Finished Wipe 
Joints, 118 



180 



INDEX. 



Position of Fingers on 
Joint Wiping Pads, 115 

— of Soldering Coppers, 71 
Potash and Borax, 65 

— , Yellow Prussiate of, 65 
— , Ferrocyanide of, 65 
Pots and Kettles, Brazing, 

152 
Pot, Melting for Wipe 

Joints, 106 
— , — , Returning Solder to, 

III 
— , — , Shop Dirt in the 124 
Pouring Solder on the 

Joint, no 
Precautions Necessary in 

Cutting Zinc, 48 

— in Wipe Jointing, 121 
Prejudice, Overcoming, 

Against the Electric Sol- 
dering Tool, 133 
Preparing Y-Joint for 
Brazing, 152 

— Chloride of Zinc, 44 

— Work for Immersion 
Brazing, 149 

Pressure and Heat, Chang- 
ing Melting Point by, 3 

Preventing Coppers from 
Burning, 7 

— Solder from Dropping 
from Wipe Joints, 114 

Problem in Tinning, 16 
Profitable Coppers Com- 
mercially, II 
Proof of Oxidation, 6 
Properly treated Pipe for 

Wipe Joints, 103 
Proportion, Sense of, Nec- 
eccary in Wiping Joints, 
114 
Protect Bits from Air, 16 
Protecting Fingers while 
Wiping Joints, no 



Protection of Metal, 6 
Protochloride of Tin, 92 
Proving Hard Soldered 

Work, 68 
Prussiate of Potash, Yel- 
low, 65 
Pulverizing by Chemical 

Methods, 54 
Pump, Air Leakage in, 2y 
Purchasing Special Coppers, 

13 
Pure Tallow, to Obtain, 123 



Q 

Quick and Sure Heating, 
Electric Soldering Tools, 
132 

Quit Wiping a Joint, when 
to, 116 



R 



Range Boiler Gas Gener- 
ator, 63 

— , Temperature of Solder 
Melting Points, 3 

Rapidity of Immersion 
Brazing, 151 

Rawhide and Leather Han- 
dles, 10 ^ 

Reducing and Oxidizing | 
Flames, 31 

— Oxide, 8 

Removing Excess of Sol- 
der, 68 

— Superfluous Solder, 98 
from Wipe Joints, 

— Pads from Finished 
Wipe Joints, no 



II 



J 



INDEX. 



181 



Resin and Borax, Dissolv- 
ing, 45 

, Heat Effect on, 7 

Soldering Fluids, 45 

— and Sal-AmmoiudC Solu- 
tions, Straining: and Fil- 
tering, 54 

— and a Wipe Joint, 124 

— Soap a, 55 

Resins and Gums Soluble 
in Gasoline and Alcohol, 

45 
Resistance for Low Voltage 
Soldering Tools, 129 

— in Series, of Electric Sol- 
dering Tools, 128 

Returning Solder to the 

Melting Pot, 11 1 
RidgA^ and String}^ Surface 

of Wipe Joint, 116 
Rough Seams, Cause of, 77 
Round Coppers, Forging, 12 
Running a Plain Seam, 70 

— Long Seams, '](i 



Safety, Margin of, between 

Solder and Pipe, 120 
Sal-Ammoniac, 63 

— Solutions and Resin, 
Straining and Filtering, 

54. 
— , Tinning Coppers with, 19 
Salt, Spirits of. Killer, 100 
Salts, Spirits of, 99 
Saving Oxide, 8 
Saw, Band, Brazing, 160 
— , — , Brazing Clamp, 162 

— Brazing, a Slovenly Job 
of, I -61 

Sawing Lead Pipe, 102 



Saws, Band, Methods of 
Holding and Brazing, 161 

Scraper, a Case-Hardening, 
±2 

— , Chattering of, to Avoid, 

84 

— , Tempering a, 22 
— , the, 22 

Scrapers, Old Files, 24 
Scraping and Brightening, 
150 

— a Seam, %2> 

— Hard Solder Joints, 68 

— or Filin^ Methods of 
Cleaning Coppers, 17 

— Pipe for Wipe Joints, 106 
to be Wipe Jointed, 

106 
Scratch Brush, the, 84 

, the Brass Wire, 85 

, Tinning with a, 85 

Seam, Making a Smooth 

Stop in a, 79 
— , Patching a, 78 
— , Scraping a, 83 
— , Plain, Running a, 70 
Seams, Bulging and Un- 

eaven. Cause of, 70 
— , Lead Burned, Imitating, 

— , Long, Running, 'j^) 
— , Rough, Cause of, 77 
— , Soldered, Gilding, 47 
— , Soft Soldered, Coloring 

of, 46 
— , Smooth, how to Make ']6 
— , Vertical, Soldering, 81 
— , very Light Soldering, 74 
Selected Solders, 35 
Selecting Acid by Hydrom- 
eter Test, 53 

— Fluxes, 7 

— Solder, 34 



182 



INDEX. 



Selection and Use of Elec- 
tric Soldering Tools, 136- 
141 

Sense of Proportion Neces- 
sary in Wiping Joints, 114 

Series Resistance of Elec- 
tric Soldering Tools, 128 

Shape and Size of Coppers, 

13 

Shaping a Wipe Joint too 
Quickly, 1 16 

Shop Dirt in the Melting 
Pot, 124 

Short Pieces of Pipe, Hold- 
ing, 121 

" Shuts," Cold, in Wipe 
Joints, 120 

Silica as a Welding Flux, 7 

Silver Solders for After- 
Soldering, 58 

, Hard, 57 

, Hard, for First Sol- 
dering, 57 

, Softer, 57 

, where Used, 56 

— Soldering, 55 

, Fluxes for, 65 

— ■ — , Methods of, 58 
, — of Applying Fluxes 

to, 66 ] 

Simple Soldering Tools, 22 
Simplex Electric Soldering 

Tool, 140 
Single and Double Pads, 

Using on Wipe Joints, 115 
Size and Shape of Coppers, 

13 

— of Solder Stream, iii 
Slovenly Job of Saw Braz- 
ing, 161 

Slumps, Solder in Wipe 

Joints, 112 
Small Objects, Tinning, 22 



Small Soldering, Minute- 
ness of, 88 

Softening Lead Pipe when 
Wipe Jointing, 120 

Soften Silver Solders, 57 

Soft Solder Seams, Color- 
ing of, 46 

— Solders, Composition of, 
3 

— — , Melting Points of, 2 

— (Very) Solders, Com- 
position of, 3 

Solder and Pipe, Margin of 
Safety Between, 120 

, Applying, 79 

— , Clean, Dip, 124 

— , Cold on Wipe Joints, 
119 

— , English Plumber's, 36 

— , Excess, Removing of, 68 

— for Wipe Joints, 107 

— , Half and Half, Melting 

Point of, 109 
— , Hard, Applying, 66 

— Hard Joint Cleaning, 
when should be done, 68 

, Joints, Finishing, 6y 

— • — , Joints, Scraping, 68 
, Keeping Flux in . 

Place, 67 

, Penetration of, 5 

— , Heating, Catch while 

Wiping Joints, no 
— , Holding, Fine Iron Wire 

for, 67 
— , Iron, Absorbed by, S7 
— , non-adhering in Wipe 

Joints, 112 
— , Making for Wipe Joints. 

109 
— , Manner of Making, S7 
— , Melted, Applying to a 

Wipe Joint, 109 



INDEX. 



183 



Solder, Melting Points, 

Comparison of, 36 
, Temperature Range 

of, 3 

— , Pigs, Casting, 39 

— , Pouring on the Joint, no 

— , Preventing Dropping 
from Wipe Joints, 114 

— , Returning to the Melt- 
ing Pot, III 

— , Selecting, 34 

— Sticks, Molds for, 38 

— , Soft, Seams, Coloring 

of, 40 
— , Stream, Size of, in 
— , Superfluous, Removing, 

98 
— ■ — , from \\ ipe Joints, 

— , Symmetricaily, Distrib- 
uting on Wipe Joints, 115 

— , Temperature Testing 
with a Match, 109 

— , Tensile Strength of, 97 

— , Testing Stick of White 
Pine, 109 

— , W^iping, Testing Tem- 
perature of, 109 

— , Working on a Wipe 
Joint, 12 

— vSlumps in Wipe Joints, 
112 

Solders commonly used, 2 

— for Gold, 56 

— , Silver, for After-Sol- 
dering, 58 

— , Selected, 35 

— , Hard Silver, for First 
Soldering, 57 

— , Silver, Hard, 57 

— , — , Softer, 57 

— , — , where used, 56 

— , Soft, Melting Points of, 



Solders, Very Soft, Com- 
position of, 3 

— , Using Low Tempera- 
ture, 3 

Soldered Hard Work, 
Proving, 68 

— Joints, Strength of, 56 

— Seams, Gilding, 47 
Soldering, Autogeneous or 

Burning, 2 

— Automatic Sprinkler 
Heads, 3 

— , Blow Pipe Fitted Joint, 

60 
— , , on Charcoal, 61 

— Compounds, 41 
, Making, 54 

— Copoer Handles, Casting 
in, 13 

— Coppers, Common Forms 
of, 9 

, for Model. Work, 14 

from Brass Foundry, 

13 

, Handles for, 10 

, Handles, Improved, 14 

, Heating, 24 

, Household, 11 

, Length of Bevel on, 

71 

, or Soldering Iron, 8 

, Patterns for, 13-38 

, Position of, 71 

, Special Forms of, 12 

, Using, 69 

, Wire, 13 

— , Defective, Cause of, 63- 

69 
— , Electric, 126 

— Fluid, a Good, 37-44 

, Gaudien's, 45 

, Lactic Acid, 44 

— Fluids and Compounds, 
34 



184 



INDEX. 



Soldering Compounds, 

Borax and Resin, 45 
/Methods of Making, 

48 

— Fusible Substances, 75 

— Galvanized Iron, 20-96 
— , Hard, or Brazing, 145 
— , Heavy, 88 

— , Heavy Work with a 
Light Copper, 90 

— Horizontal Pipes, 104 

— Iron or Soldering Cop- 
per, 8 

— Joints Closely, 5, 33, 97 

— Lead Pipe, loi 

— Liquids, 42 

— Ordinary Tin, 34 

— Paste, 41 

— and Brazing, Poor, 
Causes of, 66 

— Silver Fluxes, for, 65 

— , — , 55 

— , — , Methods of, 58 

— , — , Method of Applying 

Fluxes, 66 
— , Small, Minuteness of, 

88 
__Work, 86 
— , Speed of, 71 
— , Squeeze, Blow Pipe, 59 

— Tool, Electric, 126 
, — , Cartridge Type of 

Heaters, 137 

-, — , Common Form of, 

129 

, — , Overcoming Pre- 
judice Against, 133 

,—, Method of Heat- 
ing a, 126 

— , a Handy, 14 

, Simplex Electric, 141 

— — , Unscrewing Tips, 140 

— Tools, Appliances and 
Methods, 8 



Soldering Tools, Connec- 
tion for Electric, 130 

, Electric, Care of, 131- 

143 

, — , Care and Use of, 

142 

, — , Current for, 128 

, — , Delicacy of, 133 

; — , Injury to by Acids, 

134 

, — , One Cause of 

Trouble in, 127 

— — , — , Selection of, 136 

, — , Speed of, 132 

, — , Stands for, 135 

, -^, Sure and Quick 

Heating, 132 

, — , Temperature of, 

136 

— , — , Trouble in Wind- 
ing, 131 

,''G. E." 137 

, Life of the " G. E/* 

137 

, Low Voltage, Resist- 
ance for, 129 

, Series Resistance of 

Electric, 128 

— • — , Simple, 22 

, Vulcan, 138 

— Two Flat Pieces, 69 

— Vertical Pipes, 102 
Seams, 81 

— Very Light Seams, 74 

— with Blow Pipe, 33, 58 

— with the Corner of a 
Copper, 72 

— with Tin Foil, 97 

— with a Blow Torch, 89 
Sodium, Chloride of, 99 
Solid, Smooth, Symmetrical 

Joint, 117 
Soluble Resin and Gums in 
Gasoline, 45 



INDEX. 



185 



Solution, Copper a, 46 

— of Zinc, 47 

— Zinc, Chloride, Filter, 
the, 50-91 

Solutions, Sal-Ammoniac 
and Resin, Filtering and 
Straining, 14 

Some other Defects in Wipe 
Joints, 120 

Spatula or Flux Paddle, 66 

Special Coppers, Purchas- 
ing, 13 

— Forms of Soldering Cop- 
pers, 12 

Small Work, Soldering, 86 
Smith's Forge, Substitute 

for, 64 
Smooth Seams, How to 

Make, 76 
— , Solid, Symmetrical 

Joint, 117 

— Stop in a Seam, Making 
a, 79 

Soap, Resin, 55 
Soda, Carbonate of, 65-100 
Speed of Electric Soldering 
Tools, 132 

— of Soldering, 71 
Spelter and Borax Apply- 
ing, 147 

Spirits of Salt, 99 

, Killed, 100 

Spread, Horizontal of a 
Wipe Joint, 120 

Sprinkler Head, Automatic, 
Soldering of, 3 

Squeeze Soldering, Blow 
Pipe, 59 

Standard Cartridge Unit, 
the Glorite, 137 

Stands for Electric Sol- 
dering Tools, 135-136 

Starting a Blow Torch, 28 



Steam Boilers, Fusible 

Plugs for, 3 
Steel and Iron, Tinning, 92 
— , Hardened, Temperature 

of, 94 
— , Hard, Tinning, 94 
— , Welding with Lime 

Flux, 7 
Steam, Valve, Brazing, 155 
Sticks, Solder, Molds for, 

38 
Stick, White Pine, for Test- 
ing Solder, 109 
Stop, Snrooth, Making in a 

Seam, 79 
Stored Compounds, in 

Small, Close Vessels, 55 
Straight Copper, the, 9 
Straining and Filtering 

Resin and Sal-Ammoniac 

Solutions, 54 
— Dirty Tallow, 124 
Stream, ir^older. Size of, iii 
Strength of Soldered Joints, 

56 

— , Tensile, of Solder, 97 

String}^ and Ridgy Surface 
of Wipe Joint, 116 

Strokes, Lengthwise, Avoid 
Finishing Wipe Joints 
with, 116 

Substances, Solderinof, Fu- 
sible, 75 

Substitute for Smith's 
Forge, 64 

Substitution of Fluxes, 7 

Sulphur, Flowers of, 66 

v^ulphuric Acid, 99 

Superfluous Solder, Remov- 
ing, gS 

, Removing from Wipe 

Joints, 115 . 

Surface, Covering of Wipe 
Joint, III 



186 



INDEX. 



Surface, Ridgy and Stringy, 

of Wipe Joints, ii6 
Surfaces, Zinc, Tinnine, 91 
Suet, Trying Out, 124 
Sure and Quick Heatin^ of 

Electric ooldering Tools, 

132 
Sweating a Joint, 98 
Swivel Head CoDpers, 10 
Symmetrical, Smooth, Solid 

Joint, a, 117 
— Wipe Joints, 114 
Symmetricalb^ Distributing 

Solder on Wipe Joints, 

115 



Tallow% Adulterated, 124 
— , Dirty, Straining, 124 

— for Wipe Joints, 107 

— Kettle, 124 

— , Pure, to Obtain, 123 
— , the Pipe Pads, 125 
Tank for Immersion Braz- 
ing, 149 
Temperature, Discoloring 

of Hardened Steel, 94 
— , Low, Using Solders for, 

3 

— of Electric Soldering 
Tools, 136 

— of Melted Tin, 94 

— Range of Solder Melting 
Points, 3 

— , Testing of Wipincr Sol- 
der, 109 

— , — Solder with a Match, 
109 

Tempering a Scraper, 22 

Tensile Strength of Solder, 
97 



i 



Test, Hydrometer, Select- 
ing Acid by, 53 

Testin-- Hydrochloric Acid, 
50-53 

— Pipe to be Wipe Jointed, 
123 

— Solder Temperature with 
a Match, 109 

— Stick of White Pine for; 
Solder, 109 1 

— Temperature of Wiping 
Solder, 109 

Theory of Blow Torch 
Furnaces, 30 

— of Fluxes, 5 
Thin Wipe Pads, 125 
Ticking, Bed, Pads, 124 
Time Necessary for Wipini 

Joints, 115 

— Required for Heating 
Electric Soldering Tools, 
130 

Tin and Lead Alloys, 35 
— and Lead, Melting Point 

of, 109 
— , Burnins!", 2 

— Foil, Soldering with, 97 

— for Fusible Plugs, 3 
— , Melted, Temperature of, 

94 
— , Melting Point of, 109 
— , Ordinary, Soldering, 34 

— Protochloride of, 92 

— Ware, Mending, 2)Z 
Tinning, Before Cleaning 

Coppers, 15 

— Brass and Copper, Meth- 
od of, 90 

— by Contact, 92 

— Coppers, the Brick Meth- 
od of, 20 

with a File, 17 

with Sal-Ammoniac, 19 

— Galvanized Iron, 96 



INDEX. 



187 



Tinning Hard Steel, 94 

— Iron and Steel, p? 

— Problem, 16 

— Small Objects, 2.2 

— Soldering Coppers, 15 

— Two Coppers at once, 18 

— with Cloride of Zinc, 48 

— with the Copoer and 
Heating with the Blow 
T -h, 91 

— with the Scratch Brush, 

85 

— Zinc Surfaces, 91 

Tips, Soldering Tool, Un- 
screwing, 140 

Too much Melted Solder, 
112 

Tool, Electric Soldering, 
1 26- 1 

— , — , Common Form of, 

129 

— , , "G. E." 137 

— , , Good Form of 

Stand for, 136 

— , , Overcoming Pre- 
judice Against, 133 

— Heater, Cartridge Type 
of, 137 

— , Simplex, Electric Sol- 
dering, 141 
— , — , Soldering, a Handy, 

14 
— , — , Electric Method of 

Heating a, 126 
— , -^, Unscrewing Tips, 140 
Tools, Appliances and 

Methods for Soldering, 8 
— , Electric, Soldering, Care 

of, 131, 143 
— , — , — , Care and Use of, 

143 

— , — , — , Current for, 128 
— , — , — , Delicacy of, 133 



Tools, Electric Soldering, 
Injury by Acids, 134 

— — — Life of the " G. 
E." 137 

— , — , — , One Cause of 

Trouble in, 127 
— , — , — , Selection of, 136 
— , — , — , Series Resistance 

of, 128 
— , — , — , Speed of, 132 
— , ^, — , Stands for, 135 ' 
— , — , — , Sure and Quick 

Heating, 132 
— , — , — , Temperature of, 

136 
— , — , — , Trouble in Wind- 
ing, 131 

— for Wipe Joints, 106 

— , Low Voltage Soldering, 
Resistance for, 129 

— , Soldering, Connections 
for, 130 

— , — , Simple, 22 

— , — , Vulcan, 138 

Tongs, Brazing, 163 

— , Cooling, 164 

Torch, Blow, Furnace a, 29 

— , — , Furnaces, Theory of, 
30 

— , — , Gasoline, 25 

— , — Pipe, 63 

— , — , Starting, 28 

Torches, Blow, Gasoline, 
Defects of, 27 

— , — , Leakages in, 2~ 

Transmitted, Heat, from a 
Copper, 22 

Transporting Melted Met- 
als, 7 

Trouble in Electric Solder- 
ing Tools, One Cause of, 

— in Winding Electric Sol- 
dering Tools, 131 



188 



INDEX. 



Trying Out Suet, 124 
Two Coppers, Tinning at 

Once, 18 
— Flat Pieces, Soldering, 69 
Type of Tool Heaters, 

Cartridge, 137 



Uneven and Bulging Seams, 
Cause of, 70 

Unit, Cartridge, the Stand- 
ard Glorite, 137 

Universal Flux, a, 7 

— —, Borax, for Hard Sol- 
der, 7 

Use and Selection of Elec- 
tric Soldering Tools, 142 

Using Low Temperature 
Solders, 3 

— Single and Double Pads 
on Wipe Joints, 115 

— Soldering Coppers, 69 

— the Heavy Hatchet Cop- 
per, 13 

■ — the Hydrometer, 51 



V 

Valve Stems, Brazing, 155 

Various Methods of Braz- 
ing, 144 

of Heating for Bra~z- 

ing, 146 

Vertical Pipes, Soldering, 
102 

— Seams, Soldering, 81 

Very Light Seams, Solder- 
ing, 74 

Vessels, Compounds Stored 
in, 55 

Vitriol, Blue, 46 



V Joint, a. Preparing for 

Brazing, 152 
Voltage, Low, Soldering 

Tools Resistance for, 129 
Vulcan Soldering Tools, 138 



W 

Water, Corrosion of Lead 

Pipe by, 119 
— , Effect of in Wipe Joints, 

122 I 

— , Dropping Brazed Arti-f 

cles into, 160 ^ 

Ware, Mending Tin and 

Britannia, 3 
Weight of " G. E." Electric 

Soldering Tools, 137 
Welding Flux, Silica as a, 7 

— Operations, Borax the 
Proper Flux for, 7 

— Steel with Lime Flux, 7 
Wet or Dry Fluxes, 148 
When Fluxes should be Ap- 
plied, 66 

— ■ Cleaning Hard Solder 
Joint should be Done, 68 

— to Apply Fluxes, S2 

— to Quit Wiping a Joint, 
116 

White Pine Solder Testing 
Stick, 109 

Winding Electric Soldering 
Tools, Trouble in, 131 

Wipe Joint, Applying Melt- 
ed Solder to, 109 

, Beginning, no 

, Covering Surface of, 

III 

, Finishing a, 113-115 

, Finishing, Correct 

Form of, 118 



INDEX. 



189 



V/ipe Joint, Flat Appear- 
ance of a, 120 
, Flattening Down of a, 

120 

, H e a t i n 2 Operation, 

no 
, Height of Ladle 

above, in 
, Horizontal Spread of, 

120 

, Melting a, 120 

, Obstruction in Pipe 

at a, 119 

, Poor Form of, 118 

, Precautions, 121 

, Shaped too Ouickly, 

116 ^ 
, Working Solder on, 

112 

— Jointed, Scraping Pipe to 
be, 106 

, Testing Pipe to be, 

123 

— Jointing, Softening Lead 
Pipe, when, 120 

— Joints and Moisture, 121 
and Resin, 124 

, A V o i d Lengthwise 

Strokes in Finishing, 116 

, Cavities in, 118 

, Cold "Shuts" in, 120 

, Cold Solder on, 119 

— — , Correct Form of Fin- 
ishing, 117 

, Cultivation of Form 

in, 118 
, Distributing Solder 

Symmetrically on, 115 

, Effect of Water in, 

122 
, Importance of Fitting 

Close, 119 

, Heating Pipe for, 109 



Wipe Joint, in Pipes, Imitat- 
ing, 104 

, Ladle for, 107 

, Lead Prepared for, 

108 

— • — , '' Lick and Promise," 
119 

, Making, 105 

, Making Solder for, 

109 

, Melting Pot Used for, 

106 

— • — , Xon-Adhering Solder 
in, 112 

, Ornamenting, 125 

, Other Hot Metal De- 
fects in, 120 

, Removing Pads from, 

118 

, Removing Superflu- 
ous Solder from, 115 

, Pads for, no 

, Paper on, 105 

, Poor, should be Melt- 
ed Off, 116 

— ■ — , Poorly Finished, 118 

, Preventing Solder 

Dropping from, 114 

, Properly treated Pipe 

for, 103 

, Scraping Pipe for, 

106 

, Solder for, 107 

, Solder Slumps in, 112 

— ^ — , Some other Defects 
in, 120 

, String}' and Ridg}- 

Surface of, 116 

, Symmetrical, 114 

, Tallow for, 107 

, Drying Out, 121 

, Tools for, 106 

, Usino- Single and 

Double Pads on, 115 



190 



INDEX. 



Wipe Pads, Care of, 124 

, Plumbers', 99 

, Removing from Fin- 
ished Joints, 118 

,Thin, 125 

Wipe— Solder, Ordinary 
Pipe Joint, 105 

Wiper, Joint, Must be an 
Artist, 114 

Wiping a joint, when to 
Quit, 114 

— Expanding Pipe Ends 
for, 102 

— Joint, Flux for, 123 

— Joints, Catch Solder 
while, no 

^ Placing Pipes for, 107 

^ Protecting Fingers 

while, no 
, Sense of Proportion 

Necessary in, 114 
, Artistic Instinct in, 

114 
, Time Necessary for, 

115 
, Holding Work Solid 

when, 121 

— Operation, Commencing 
the, no 

— Solder, Testing Temper- 
ature of, 109 

Wire, Brass, Scratch Brush, 
the, 85 

— Iron, Fine for Holding 
Solder, 67 

— Soldering Copper, 13 



Wiring and Blacking Pipe 
for Immersion Brazing, 
150 

Wooden Handles, Coppers 
with, 10 

Work, Fitting Together, 97 

— , Heavy, Soldering with a 
Light Copper, 90 

— , Holding Solid, when 
Wiping Joints, 121 

— , Model, Soldering Cop- 
pers for, 14 

— , Preparing for Immer- 
sion Brazing, 149 

— , Small, Soldering, 86 

— , Soldered, Hard, Prov- 
ing, 68 

Working Solder on a Wipe 
Joint, 112 



Yellow Prussiate of Pot- 
ash, 65 



Zinc, Solution of, 47 
— , Chloride of, 43-44 
— , — , Tinning with, 39-48 
, Solut-on, Filter, the, 

50 
— , Cleaning to Avoid Acid 

Fumes, /9 
— , Ciittinc:. Necessary Pre 

caut'ons in, ^8 
— , Surfaces, Tinning, 91 



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